Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on December 1 orally observed that the power of the Punjab Police has not been taken away by the Centre’s decision to expand the BSF’s jurisdiction to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a larger 50-km stretch from the International Border as compared to the earlier 15 km limit.
The Bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, hearing the 2021 lawsuit of the Punjab Government, said the issues for adjudication by this court have to be settled.
It asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, and the lawyer representing the Punjab Government, to sit together and jointly decide on issues to be decided by the Bench.
“The parties shall exchange issues so that they can be settled before the next date of listing,” the Bench said.
The Advocate General of Punjab can also take part in the meeting of parties, it added.
After perusing the records, the CJI prima facie observed that there were concurrent powers to be exercised by the BSF and the state police.
“The power of investigation is not taken away from the Punjab Police,” the CJI orally observed. During a brief hearing, the Solicitor General said the BSF has jurisdiction in all border states. He said in states like Gujarat, the jurisdiction of BSF was up to 80 km and now it is uniform 50 km in all border states.
