NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to examine a PIL seeking a judicial probe into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack 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 probe into the Pahalgam attack and said retired judges were not experts.
"Be responsible before filing such kind of PIL. You have some duty towards the country also. This is the way you are trying to demoralize the forces in this hour of crisis and juncture? You are asking retired Supreme Court judge to investigate. Since when retired High Court, Supreme Court judges have become expert in investigation?," the two-judge bench of the apex court asked.
The court came down heavily on the petitioners for filing such kind of petition, the court added tell us, since when we have required this expertise of investigation? We only decide disputes. Don't ask us to pass an order.
The plea has been filed in the top court by three different individuals; Mohammad Junaid, a resident of Kashmir along with Fatesh Kumar Sahu and Vicky Kumar. They 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.
According to Live Law, when the bench expressed displeasure with the kind of prayers made in the petition, it was submitted on behalf of the petitioners that they are completely satisfied with what the government is doing. One of the petitioners sought to withdraw the prayers, but beseeched that the Court consider the issue pertaining to J&K students studying outside the UT (who are reportedly suffering harassment since the attack).
The plea sought a direction from the apex court to constitute a judicial commission into the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The plea in the Supreme Court sought directions to the Central government and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for the protection of other tourists in Kashmir.
25 tourists and one local guide were killed when four to five terrorists allegedly opened fire on them in the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam on April 22. As per reports, The Resistance Force (TRF), an affiliate of the banned Pakistani terrorist group, Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT), claimed the responsibility for the alleged terror attack.
(With inputs from Online Desk, PTI)
