No one-sided probe: Supreme Court names Malhotra to head panel to probe PM security breach

New Delhi: Investigation into the security breach that left Prime Minister Narendra Modi stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 20 minutes last week will be headed by a retired judge, Justice Indu Malhotra, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.

Officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Punjab police will be part of the inquiry. "These questions cannot be left upon any one-sided inquiry. We need an independent probe," the Supreme Court said, adding that the inquiry committee would submit its report "at the earliest".

The committee will inquire into what caused the breach, who was responsible and what safeguards are needed to prevent such lapses in future and submit its report at the earliest. The NIA Director General, the Chandigarh police chief, the Additional Director General of Punjab Police (Security) and the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court will be members of the inquiry.

A massive political row broke out after PM Modi, on his way to a rally last Wednesday, was stranded for about 20 minutes on a flyover in Punjab's Ferozepur as it was blocked by protesting farmers.