Disclose money spent on VIP security: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre, all state governments and union territory administrations to furnish details of the total expenses incurred in providing security to public and private persons other than the Constitutional functionaries such as President, Prime Minister, Vice President, Lok Sabha Speaker and their counterparts in states and union territories.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by a resident of Uttar Pradesh on the misuse of the red beacon, a bench comprising of justices GS Singhvi and HL Gokhale also passed a slew of directions on the issue of misuse of VVIP security and beacon lights. The court, during the hearing, also praised Finance Minister P Chidambaram and former Defence Minister George Fernandes for not taking security.

The court passed the directions after going through two notes provided to it by senior advocate Harish Salve, who had also moved the court on the issue. Salve gave examples of how the provision of providing security and use of beacon lights were being misused and coming in way of right to equality of citizens. Earlier, Salve had also filed a petition questioning the stoppage of traffic and other security paraphernalia put in place for facilitating the movement of functionaries during the cremation of former Prime Minister IK Gujral.