E-Paper
Provide PSO to the petitioner who raised Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship issue: Allahabad HC to Centre
The Allahabad High Court has ordered the Union of India to provide a personal security officer to petitioner S Vignesh Shishir, amid threats he faces.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court as an interim measure has directed the Union of India to provide the facility of one personal security officer (PSO) of central armed police forces round-o-clock forthwith to petitioner S Vignesh Shishir of Karnataka who had raised the issue of alleged British citizenship of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi many times before the high court.
The court has listed the case for next hearing on October 9, 2025, as fresh. “In the meantime, respondent nos.1 to 9 (Union of India and other authorities) shall ensure that counter affidavit is filed to the writ petition annexing therewith the decision, if any, taken on the representation of the petitioner forwarded by the Office of Hon’ble Prime Minister to the Ministry of Home Affairs i.e. respondent no.1,” the court said.
This order was passed on August 28 by a division bench of Justice Sangeeta Chandra and Justice Brij Raj Singh in response to a petition filed by S Vignesh Shishir seeking directives to command the respondents concerned to immediately provide Y-Plus category security cover from central armed police force to the petitioner, including armed PSOs, escort protection and round-the-clock surveillance.
He also requested to direct the respondents to constitute a high-level threat assessment committee involving senior officials from intelligence and security agencies to evaluate the threat to the petitioner’s life.
Senior advocate SB Pandey, Deputy Solicitor General of India appearing for the Union of India, informed the court that there is a witness protection scheme and since the petitioner has received threats, which are palpable in nature, the court may pass an appropriate order for providing security to the petitioner. He also requested time to file a counter affidavit in this writ petition. He was assisted by advocate Anand Dwivedi.
“Having gone through the contents of the writ petition and the annexures thereto, we are, prima facie, satisfied that the matter requires consideration as the petitioner has been pursuing his cases against a very powerful individual and is facing constant threats and has to appear before the Investigating Officer at Police Station Kotwali, District Rae Bareli in pursuance of notice issued to him,” the court observed.
“We, as an interim measure, direct the respondent no.1 to provide the facility of one Personal Security Officer (P.S.O.) of Central Armed Police Forces round-o-clock forthwith to the petitioner,” the court directed.
