HC reserves judgment in VIP security withdrawal info leak case
Mohali, August 5: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday reserved its judgment in VIP security withdrawal information leak case.
At the same time, the court directed the Punjab Government to submit by the evening all details related to orders issued at different intervals with regard to security and on what occasions the security of VIPs was withdrawn.
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The Punjab Government assured the court that the "protection of all VVIPs is its responsibility and that it will not backtrack".
Notably, in the last week of May, the AAP-led Punjab Government withdrew the security of 424 VIPs in the state. These included former MLAs, jathedars of two Takhts, heads of various deras and police officials. However, a day after the withdrawal of VIP security, Punjabi singer and rapper Sidhu Moosewala was brutally murdered in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29.
It invited a lot of criticism from various quarters and the matter reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, after facing the wrath, the Punjab Government told the High Court that the security of VIPs was temporarily withdrawn and it would be restored on June 7.
The court was told that the security of VIPs was curtailed/withdrawn by a May 26 notification in view of the Operation Bluestar anniversary on June 6. It described it as a routine exercise every year.
However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court rapped the Punjab Government over the leak of information regarding the VIP security withdrawal, which led to the death of Punjabi singer and rapper Sidhu Moosewala.
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Taking the Punjab Government to task, the High Court asked how the information was leaked; and what further remedies were needed to be taken to prevent such an incident?
-PTC News
