No security cover for lower court judges in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has withdrawn the security cover provided to judges in the lower judiciary, a decision that comes after taking sessions judges into confidence and follows the Supreme Court’s directive to all state governments last year to review their security policy.

Of the 575 police personnel deputed to provide security to judges in various districts, the state government has for the first time withdrawn nearly 250, officials familiar with the matter told ET.

The government wrote letters in this regard to all district and sessions judges, the officials said on condition of anonymity, adding that in certain cases senior superintendents of police of the districts concerned met the sessions judges to explain the revised policy to avoid a stand-off between the judiciary and the State.

The move to do away with provision of security cover on the grounds of the position held by the individual impacts sub judges, senior sub judges, chief judicial magistrates and additional district and sessions judges. Punjab is the only state apart from Haryana that had been providing security to the lower judiciary.

"The endeavour is to bring the security policy of Punjab in line with policies of other states in the country," Dinkar Gupta, additional director general of police (security) told ET. "Moreover, the decision has been taken in pursuance to apex court’s directions.

The security guards withdrawn will be put to use for effective policing and curbing crime in the state."

In its revised security cover policy notified on September 2 last year, the state government had decided to prune the security provided to lower court judges, among others. Prodded by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who held a review meeting about a fortnight ago, the state police department has also withdrawn more than 650 personal security officers or PSOs deputed to guard politicians, bureaucrats, senior police officers and others.