Pinnacle Court directs that travel records to be preserved by Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding PM’s Punjab visit security lapse

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High
Court to forthwith secure and preserve all records relating to the visit of Prime Minister to
Punjab on January 5.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana directed the state of Punjab including
police authorities, SPG and other central and state agencies to cooperate and provide necessary assistance to the Registrar General in this regard.
Today appearing before the Bench, the Centre joined with petitioner NGO Lawyer’s Voice and expressed suspicions about the security lapse having a “potential cross-border terrorism” angle. It submitted that prior to the Prime Minister’s visit, a banned organisation abroad published a video exhorting people to certain acts. It said the presence of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the investigation was essential. 
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the event could be pegged as “rarest of rare” as it could have unfolded into an “international embarrassment” for India. Mr. Mehta again agreed with senior advocate Maninder Singh, for the petitioner, to urge the court to immediately direct the seizure and protection of records pertaining to the security arrangements that were in place for the Prime Minister's motorcade. The Centre and the petitioner said the court could carve the way ahead once the evidence was protected. Mr. Mehta said, “The investigation should rise above central and State politics”.
The SC Bench appointed the Director-General of Police, Chandigarh and an officer from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as nodal officers to coordinate with the Registrar General. This development is significant as these officers are not associated with the Punjab Government or the Punjab cadre.
Notably, the involvement of the National Investigation Agency is significant as it indicates
that the Top Court of India paid due care and attention to the scheme of the Special Protection Group Act, 1988 which highlights that the State Government under Section 14 of the said act is obligated to aid the SPG for the security of the Prime Minister of India. The Bench - which also included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli - asked the committees set up by the Centre and Punjab not to go ahead with their inquiry for the time being and posted the matter for Monday. On behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Maninder Singh demanded that the state's committee should be stayed.
Punjab Advocate General DS Patwalia said certainly there was a lapse and the state didn't want to join the issue with the petitioners or the Centre.

He, however, said both the Centre and the state committees should hold their horses till Monday. "We can proceed according to the directions of this court," Patwalia said.
Finally, the court asked the counsel representing the Punjab and the central governments to ask the committees set up by them separately to probe the lapses during the visit of the prime minister to 'hold their hands till Monday' (January 10).