SC refuses to hear PIL over attack

New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the petitioners and refused to hear their PIL seeking a judicial probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 people were killed.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh castigated the petitioners for seeking a retired judge to monitor the probe into the Pahalgam attack and said retired judges were not experts.
“In this crucial time, each and every citizen of the country has joined hands to fight terror. Do you want to demoralise the security forces by filing this kind of PIL? Don’t bring this kind of issue to the judicial domain,” the bench said.
Petitioners Fathesh Kumar Saahu and others were consequently asked to withdraw the PIL.
The top court asked the petitioners to realise the sensitivity of the issue and not make any prayer in court which demoralised the forces.
“You are asking a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate. Since when the retired judges of the high court and supreme court became experts in investigation? They can only adjudicate and decide an issue. Don’t ask us to pass an order. Go wherever you want to go. Better you withdraw,” the bench told one of the petitioners.
Justice Kant asked the petitioners to exercise caution while filing a PIL and expressed displeasure over the nature of prayers in the petition.
The PIL was filed by advocates Fatesh Kumar Sahu and Vicky Kumar aside from Kashmir resident Junaid Mohd. They sought a direction to the Centre and the J&K union territory administration (UT) to ensure the safety of tourists. The plea sought minimum security standards for tourist sites in areas prone to conflicts, such as Jammu and Kashmir.
The plea also sought an action plan for the safety of the people in tourist areas of J&K by CRPF, NIA and the UT administration.
The top court was urged to passed directions to the Press Council of India for ensuring only “fair and true” reporting in connection with the attack to ensure peace and harmony in society.
Terrorists on April 22 opened fire in Baisaran, a popular tourist spot in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, killing 26 people, mostly tourists from other states.
The incident spiked India-Pakistan tensions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting the killers would be pursued “to the ends of the earth.” (PTI)