Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani will continue to have the ‘Z-category’ security cover provided to him by the Central Reserve Police Force. The Bombay high court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation which challenged this security cover provided to him.
The central government had provided Ambani with this top tier of security comprising 20 commandos after a letter, purportedly written by terror outfit Indian Mujhaideen, was delivered to the business magnate’s office. The letter warned of attacks on Ambani and his house.
Two social activists, Nitin Deshpande and Vikrant Karnik, filed a public-interest litigation, seeking that the decision to provide security to Ambani be reversed.
However, a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and justice MS Sanklecha has noted that the centre has executive powers to analyse threat perception and provide protection to any private person or entity. Based on a judgment of the Supreme Court, dating back to 1955, the high court said that the centre need not wait for parliament to enact or amend the law.
The petitioners’ lawyer, Ashish Mehta, argued that such protection could be given to private installations – like oil refineries – instead of private individuals.
To this, the court said: “If you do not have objection to providing protection to oil refineries, why are you raising objection to protection given to the person who put these oil refineries?”
The petitioners also contented that each member of the military and paramilitary forces is under oath to serve and save the nation. The petition also stated that the influential class — top politicians, sports and film celebrities and rich
industrialists — are trying to avail of security as a status symbol although “no real threat to their life or property exists”.
Questioning the intention of the petitioners, the court observed: “People come here for publicity and we don’t want to consider this petition.” It also added that security personnel can be deployed for protection and prevention of crime.
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