New Delhi: The Public Interest Litigation- PIL seeking to make accountable the intelligence agencies like Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and National Technical Research Organisation, to Parliament, was dismissed by the honourable Supreme Court of India on today, i.e. Tuesday, 23rd February. Moreover, the Apex court said in its decision that the try for getting into the domain of intelligence may create a ‘dent’ in national security.
Honourable Apex Court’s concerned Bench, which is comprising of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh said that they are not inclined to entertain this petition. As such the PIL was rejected by the Court.
This PIL was preferred by the NGO- Centre for Public Interest Litigation- CPIL, where the petitioners have sought the bringing of the agencies under the oversight of Parliament and CAG. Moreover, the Apex Court had issued notice to the Centre in the year 2013, where the Centre Govt. was asked to respond the said PIL.
The PIL filed by this concerned NGO was also seeking the directions from the court for Parliamentary oversight and financial auditing of Research and Analysis Wing- RAW, Intelligence Bureau- IB and National Research Organisation- NTRO by CAG like in western countries.
However, while refusing to grant favour in connection with the plea sought under PIL, the Bench said that they do not think that the Court should entertain such petitions which deal with the security of the country.
In its plea, the petitioner- NGO had submitted that there is a misuse of such agencies for the political purposes, as such these agencies should be made accountable to Parliament, as it is an “urgent need”
The petitioner- NGO was represented by the Senior Advocate- Prashant Bhushan and while so in the year 2013, he submitted before the court that in India which is the only democratic country in the world, there is no intelligence agencies have legitimacy in the eyes of law and also they are not accountable to the Parliament and people.
Thus, the Court had agreed to hear the plea, by saying that the policy matter is to be decided by the Centre Government. And now, it has rejected the plea sought by such NGO.
Adv. Faim Khalilkhan Pathan