Several Supreme Court lawyers alleged today that they received calls threatening judges over the case involving the security breach that left Prime Minister Narendra Modi stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 20 minutes last week.
A police complaint has been filed by lawyer Deepak Prakash over what he says were "terrifying calls" that could lead to riots. The caller threatened "extremely adverse reactions affecting national security and integrity", he alleged.
The calls were made allegedly by a pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Many lawyers say they received an automated call at 10.40 am on Monday. The caller allegedly claimed that the SFJ group was responsible for the blockade by protesting farmers on PM Modi's route when he was travelling by road from Bathinda to Ferozepur on Wednesday. After waiting for 20 minutes for the road to clear up, the Prime Minister turned back and cancelled all his programmes..
The caller allegedly warned that the judges who heard the case "must not help PM Modi" punish Sikh farmers. They also referred to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot and accused the Supreme Court of silence on the death of Sikh farmers over the past year, during protests against three now-cancelled farm laws.
"All advocates have been receiving such threatening calls since morning, which indicate that they want to bring hatred, contempt and hostility to disrupt the government and public peace and tranquillity if the Supreme Court hears the PM security breach case," Deepak Prakash's complaint to the police said.
Nikhil Jain, the treasurer of a Supreme Court lawyers' body, said he had received a call from the number +447418365564.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, a lawyer for the Uttar Pradesh government, said he had received the calls twice. "Today, many Supreme Court lawyers including me have received calls from a number from UK. The call specifically asked Supreme Court Judges to refrain from hearing the petition on the blockade of PM Modi's cavalcade," Mr Jain told NDTV.
"This matter requires consideration. It is a very serious issue and I think the highest authority must take it up as well," he said.
Nishant Katneshwarkar, a Supreme Court lawyer who once represented the Maharashtra government, also confirmed receiving the call. He said, "In the morning I received two calls from a number in the UK. Most of the Supreme Court lawyers have received such calls."
The Supreme Court today ordered an inquiry headed by a retired judge into the incident, and asked the Centre and the Punjab government to hold off on their probes for now.
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