Supreme Court points to Mukesh Ambani, questions cover for rich

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday frowned upon official security cover being provided to the rich, saying had the government and police been providing adequate protection to citizens, 5/6-year-olds would not have been raped.

Though the government’s decision to provide CISF personnel as paid security cover to one of the world’s richest men, Mukesh Ambani, did not figure specifically in the discussions , the indirect reference to it by the bench of Justices G S Singhvi and Kurian Joseph was loud and clear.

“We read in newspapers about the home ministry agreeing to provide CISF security to an individual. Why do such persons, who can afford to pay for security, not hire private security guards,” the bench asked and said cities would have been a lot safer had the government taken adequate steps to provide security to common man.

“Governments have provided security to a lot of private individuals, who face criminal cases... We are making it clear that MHA has to take a call soon. The state is not obliged to provide security to people facing criminal charges, except when there’s documentary proof of a specific threat to their lives,” the bench said and asked ASGs Indira Jaising and Siddharth Luthra to respond on the issue on July 9.

The court asked all states to provide the home ministry lists of two sets of people — the rich ones who pay to get security from government and those facing criminal charges and are still being protected by state police. It asked the Centre to provide it the data on July 9.