New Delhi, May 5: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking enhanced safety and security measures for tourists in hilly areas and remote destinations, filed in the aftermath of the deadly April 22 terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed lives of 26 civilians.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh rapped advocate Vishal Tiwari, appearing in person, for filing “purported PILs” aimed at gaining publicity. “Mr. Tiwari, last time also, we advised you. What is your purpose and motive? Who is inciting you to file this kind of PIL? You don’t understand any sensitivity? You don’t realise your responsibility? I think you are inviting some order with exemplary cost,” the bench said.
The PIL litigant submitted that he was not seeking any direction against the government, and the plea was limited to raising safety concerns of tourists in hilly areas and remote destinations. However, the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench remained unconvinced and dismissed the petition, saying that advocate Tiwari was engaging in “one or the other purported PILs which are primarily aimed to gain publicity with no intent to serve public cause”.
The PIL said that there exists a lack of safety programmes and guidelines for tourists and the general public on how to save themselves when there is a terrorist attack, how to get immediate help, and how to hide themselves when attacked. It added that tourists in Pahalgam were an easy target for the terrorists as those innocent people were unarmed and without any security.
“It is for the first time that the tourists have been targeted and in such large numbers they have been killed and injured. Now it has raised the question of safety and security of the people of the country who visit as tourists, mostly in hilly areas and valleys like Jammu and Kashmir,” the plea said.
“Recent terrorist attacks have raised questions of the security of tourists visiting such remote places. In urban areas, it is difficult to attack as there is regular movement of police forces, but tourist destinations are geographically different, where people can be targeted easily,” it added.
The PIL stressed that the Centre and State governments will have to take steps to deploy adequate security for the tourists who visit remote hilly areas and valleys, especially during the summer season.
“The VIPs always remain under protection throughout the clock in our country. When they pass, roads are blocked for citizens. A lot of security personnel are deployed in their security, but the common people always suffer,” it further said. The top court had recently declined to entertain a plea seeking the formation of a probe panel headed by a retired apex court judge to investigate the deadly Pahalgam attack.
Slamming the PIL litigant, the Justice Surya Kant-led Bench said that it would not entertain any plea which could demoralise the country’s armed forces. “Be responsible before filing such a PIL. Since when have retired High Court or Supreme Court judges become experts in investigation? Since when have we (judges) gained the expertise of investigation? We only decide disputes.
Please do not ask for these prayers (for investigation under supervision of a retired SC judge),” the apex court said. “This is the crucial hour when each and every citizen of the country has joined hands to fight terrorism. Don’t make any prayers which could demoralise our forces. It is not acceptable to us! Look at the sensitivity of the issue,” it added.
IANS
