LAWYERS SAY GETTING CALLS TO STOP SC PROBE
NEW DELHI: Some Supreme Court lawyers received an anonymous, pre-recorded call from a group claiming responsibility for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach at Punjab and warning of dire consequences should the apex court take up the case. The call was received by some lawyers at 10.40 am, the same time when the court was hearing a PIL on the matter, and decided to set up a committee to look into the breach.
After several lawyers complained of receiving the call, not once but twice during the day, the Supreme Court Advocateson-record Association (SCAORA) wrote to Supreme Court Secretary-general Virender Kumar Bansal seeking appropriate action as this was a breach of privacy. One of the lawyers addressed a complaint to the Delhi Police Commissioner to initiate a probe and referred a copy of the complaint to the NIA as well.
SCAORA in its letter said, “Several members of SCAORA received an anonymous, automated pre-recorded call from number +447418365564, once at approximately 10.40 am and another call at 12.36 pm on January 10 fastening responsibility for Prime Minister Modi’s security breach during his visit to Punjab on January 5 on Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) from US...”
SFJ is a banned separatist group based in US which seeks secession of Punjab from India. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an attorney at law in the US is considered to be the face of SFJ.
The letter went on to state that “the caller further warned the SC judges to refrain from hearing the PIL filed by NGO Lawyers Voice seeking probe into the security breach on the ground that the SC has not been able to punish culprits of the 1984 anti-sikh riots.”