New Delhi, Nov 22: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Punjab government’s request to access the statements of witnesses who had testified before a committee led by former apex court judge Indu Malhotra, investigating the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab in January 2022.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan instructed the state government to proceed with its own inquiry against the officers involved, without relying on the witness statements provided to the committee.
The top court had appointed the Malhotra-led committee on January 12, 2022, to investigate the security lapse. After receiving the committee’s report, the case was reviewed on August 25, 2022, and the report was directed to be kept in a sealed cover in the safe custody of the Secretary General of the Supreme Court.
However, the Punjab government later sent a letter seeking the witness statements in order to proceed with further actions against the officers involved. The bench firmly stated that there was no reason to grant the request and directed the state to conduct its own investigation independently.
The committee’s findings had revealed that Ferozepur’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Avneet Hans, failed to take appropriate action to ensure the security of the prime minister despite having sufficient resources at his disposal. It was noted that the SSP had been informed two hours in advance about the prime minister’s route but did not take the necessary measures to prevent the security breach, which led to Modi’s convoy being blocked by protesters on January 5, 2022, on a flyover in Ferozepur. As a result, the prime minister had to cut short his visit without attending any scheduled events.
The committee also recommended the establishment of an oversight committee for regular updates to the ‘Blue Book,’ which outlines procedures for ensuring the safety of the prime minister, and the introduction of sensitization courses for officers responsible for his security.
In August 2022, the Supreme Court had directed the report to be sent to the Centre for appropriate action against the responsible officials.
