New Delhi: Hearing a petition seeking a thorough investigation into the security lapse during Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Punjab, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the state government to ensure that all records and materials pertaining to the Prime Minister’s movements be immediately secured in the custody of the Punjab and Haryana High Court registrar-general.
Halting the probes till Monday, the apex court directed the registrar-general to secure and preserve the travel records of Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Punjab forthwith.
The apex court also directed the Punjab and police authorities, Special Protection Group (SPG) and other central and state agencies to cooperate and provide necessary assistance to seal the entire record, ANI reported.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the incident has caused international embarrassment.
Asserting this matter cannot be left to just anyone, he told the apex court that it is a matter of cross-border terrorism and thus the National Investigation Agency (NIA) official may assist the probe.
Senior advocate Deepinder Singh Patwalia, the advocate general of Punjab, on his part told the apex court the state is taking this issue very seriously.
He added that the state government constituted a committee on the same day of the incident.
The Union Home Ministry has constituted a committee to enquire into the serious lapses in the security arrangements during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Punjab.
The three-member committee to be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat, will comprise Intelligence Bureau Joint Director Balbir Singh and SPG Inspector General S. Suresh.
The committee has been advised to submit the report at the earliest.
The SPG, responsible for the Prime Minister’s security, functions under the Cabinet Secretariat’s control.
The Prime Minister’s Punjab visit was cut short earlier on Wednesday after a “major security lapse” as he was stranded on a flyover for 20 minutes due to a blockade by the protesters, prompting the Union Home Ministry to seek an immediate report from the state government.
The state government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action.