From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday approved the “Z” category security coverprovided by the Centre to billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani and his family in Mumbai, noting that he was fully paying the cost.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli also quashed a PIL pending before Tripura High Court challenging his security cover, stressing that the High Court has nothing to do with the security cover in far off Mumbai.
Directing the Centre to continue the security cover to the family, the Bench questioned the locus of the petitioner in the PIL filed before the High Court. It said no need for the High Court to enter PIL since Ambani was paying the cost of security provided by the government.
The government had moved the top court challenging the Tripura High Court’s directions on the PIL. It informed the court that “Z” category security was given to Mukesh Ambani in 2013 and “Y” category CRPF cover to his wife Neeta Ambani in 2016.
A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Jamshed B Pardiwala had stayed the High Court’s orders on June 29 on the Centre’s petition. In the impugned order, the High Court directed for production of MHA’s files relating to security given to the family.
When the matter was taken up for hearing, CJI Ramana at the outset questioned the petitioner’s locus to file the PIL. “What is your locus and why are you bothered about the security? The government is there, they will take care. Why are you bothered? What is your locus? What is your concern? It’s somebody’s security,” CJI asked the petitioner’s counsel who had preferred the PIL in the High Court.
Terming the petition challenging the security granted before the High Court as “unfortunate”, Senior Advocate Harish Salve for the Ambani family submitted that the family was fully paying for the security cover granted by the central government.
He said: “Under the laws of our country, the level of security which is provided is not the same as compared to security provided in other countries. Government sends the bill for security and the same is fully paid. In his family members, one is the chairman of the biggest digital company….it is very unfortunate that this kind of slur is created and there is some bountry. They have employed 4-5 million people and if the government feels they deserve the security, it is to be given. This kind of slander is bad…when court starts entertaining, it is very bad.”
In its petition, the Centre had said that the PIL was filed by an individual who is just a meddlesome interloper, claiming himself to be a social activist and a student. In any case, it said the Tripura High Court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to consider the issue relating to the security cover given to the Ambani family in Mumbai.
