Judge's Security Breach | Punjab & Haryana HC Directs Continuation Of Heightened Security, Asks Judge To Scale It Down As Per Threat Perception

The Punjab & Haryana High Court directed to continue with the security provided to the sitting High Court judge who recently experienced a security breach in Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Previously, Court had directed to deploy 3-4 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in security of the judge along with his Personal Security arrangement.

On September 22, a man pulled out the gun of the High Court Judge's Personal Security Officer (PSO) at Golden Temple and ran towards the entrance of the Golden Temple "with possible intent to harm the Judge". 

His advancement was thwarted by the PSO and in the scuffle that followed, the miscreant shot himself in the head. 

The Court had taken suo moto cognizance of the newspaper report of the above incident.

While disposing of the plea Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sudhir Singh said, “it is directed that the same be continued in the present status leaving it for the learned Judge to scale it down in line with threat perception experienced by the learned Judge by exercising his keen sense of judgement.”

Adding that the petition is pending for the last more than four months, the Court said that, “threat perception experienced by the learned Judge may have lost its sting by afflux of time, this Court deems it appropriate not to keep this petition pending.”

The Court noted that Investigating Officer, namely,. Manisha Chaudhary, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Anti Corruption Bureau, Haryana, who was entrusted with the investigation in three FIRs bearing pertaining to the alleged incident informed that investigation in all the three FIRs is complete and the final report would be filed before the jurisdictional Magistrate within a week.

“The jurisdictional Magistrate/Court is free to consider the final reports by adopting the due process of law without being influenced by the orders passed in this petition and also the fact that the issue relates to the security of a sitting Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana,” the Court added.

In the light of the above, the plea was disposed of.

Mr. J.S. Gill, Addl. Advocate General, Punjab.

Mr. Satya Pal Jain, Addl. Solicitor General of India, with Ms. Neha Sharma, Panel Counsel, UOI.

Mr. Amit Jhanji, Senior Standing Counsel, UT Chandigarh, with Mr. Jaivir S. Chandail, Addl. Standing Counsel, UT Chandigarh. Mr. Sumer Partap Singh, SSP, Security & Traffic, UT Chandigarh

Mr. Pawan Girdhar, Addl. Advocate General, Haryana, with Ms. Manisha Chaudhary, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Anti Corruption Bureau, Haryana, Head of SIT.

Mr. R.S. Cheema, Senior Advocate, with Mr. A.S. Cheema, Advocate, Mr. Satish Sharma, Advocate, and

Mr. Prince Bharol, Advocate; Mr. Vinod Ghai, Senior Advocate, with Mr. Arnav Ghai, Advocate;Mr. R.S. Rai, Senior Advocate, with Mr. Anurag Arora, Advocate, and Mr. Saurabh Sharma, Advocate, for Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association.

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