New Delhi, May 1: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the formation of a judicial commission to probe the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh came down heavily on the petitioners, criticising the premise of the plea. “Be responsible. You owe some duty towards the country. Is this the way? Please don’t do this,” the bench remarked, questioning the competence of retired judges in probing matters related to terrorism.
“This is a crucial hour when the entire nation is united in the fight against terrorism. Don’t file petitions that could demoralise people. Consider the sensitivity of the situation,” Justice Surya Kant added during the hearing.
Following the sharp rebuke, the petitioner — appearing in person — sought to withdraw the plea and requested liberty to approach the High Court on a related issue: the protection of Kashmiri students studying outside the Union Territory. The court allowed the withdrawal but noted that the issue of students’ safety was not mentioned in the original petition.
The PIL, filed by Mohammad Junaid of Kashmir along with Fatesh Kumar Sahu and Vicky Kumar, had also sought directions for improved security measures for tourists in the region.
