Navjot Sidhu’s security cover: Punjab and Haryana High Court directs to take all corrective measures

Chandigarh, June 2

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the adoption of all corrective measures, including the provision of suitable security, on the basis of threat perception disclosed by senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu in his petition. The Bench also set a month’s deadline for passing an appropriate order in this regard.

Among other things, Sidhu in the petition had claimed that a “notorious gang leader” had revealed two politicians, including him, were on target. The Bench also directed the authority concerned to take note of Sidhu’s apprehensions as disclosed in the writ petition.

“If the threat perception based on the pleadings made in the writ petition is found to be on genuine note, the competent authority shall proceed to take all corrective steps, including enhancement of security cover, if any required. This provision, however, is subject to final assessment to be made by the competent authority on the basis of further inputs to be received from the concerned quarter and after analyzing the inputs provided by the petitioner in the aforesaid pleadings in accordance with law,” Justice Raj Mohan Singh asserted.

Before parting with the order on Sidhu’s plea for enhancing security cover, Justice Raj Mohan Singh added the issue of providing security cover could not be treated to be a static issue. The petitioner, as such, would also be at liberty to provide his inputs in order to corroborate the pleadings made in the writ petition. The competent authority would then take appropriate action. This was in the light of fact that the issue of security was a state subject and the court interference was required to be minimal.