High Court verdict on pleas against security removal in Punjab reserved

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the state of Punjab to furnish the details of orders issued regarding the pruning or withdrawal of security cover to the protectees. The direction by Justice Raj Mohan Singh came as the Bench reserved its verdict on a bunch of petitions against the withdrawal of security cover.

More than 20 petitions were placed before the Bench on the issue. Among others, Justice Raj Mohan Singh was hearing a petition by Punjab’s former deputy Chief Minister OP Soni through counsel Madhu Dayal, seeking the quashing of order dated May 11 de-categorising his security from “Z” and the withdrawal of security personnel.

Dayal, on Soni’s behalf, had contended that the Punjab Police withdrew security cover of 184 ex-ministers and former MLAs on ‘pick and choose basis rather than actual threat perception’ after the formation of the current AAP government.

“The withdrawal is a result of populist action being taken by the government, instead of assessment of actual serious threat to the lives of these persons. Z+ category security has been provided to Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister, Delhi, and Raghav Chadha, MP, Rajya Sabha, Punjab, among others,” Dayal added.

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