The Supreme Court on Friday directed the central government to continue providing VVIP security cover to India’s richest businessman Mukesh Ambani and his family members.
The top court, according to Livelaw, also quashed proceedings in the PIL pending before the Tripura High Court challenging security cover given to billionaire businessman and his family in Mumbai.
An individual named Bikash Saha had moved the Tripura High Court challenging the rationale behind VVIP security cover provided to the Ambanis at the expense of taxpayers’ money. The Tripura High Court on 21 June had summoned an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs to submit the original file on threat perception to the Ambanis in a sealed cover.
Questioning the locus of the petitioner, the bench opined that there was no need for the High Court to entertain the PIL since the family was paying cost of security provided by the Government.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) July 22, 2022
The interim order by the Tripura High Court was challenged by the Modi government in the Supreme Court. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said that the Tripura High Court had no jurisdiction to pass an order on the matter. Mehta had also mentioned that a similar PIL was filed before the Bombay High Court, which dismissed the petition.
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala had earlier stayed the Tripura High Court’s order.