Police Policy: सुप्रीम कोर्ट का फरमान, हर किसी को क्यों दे रहे हो पुलिस प्रोटेक्शन? सूची दो। SC asked states & UTs to furnish details about people enjoying police protection.

New Delhi: Strongly disapproving of police protection given to "all and sundry," including MPs and MLAs facing no security threat, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre and all states to furnish names of the people given the security and the expenditure borne by states on it. A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi said only those who are holding important constitutional posts or are facing threat to their lives be given the police protection. "Security can be given to the head of state, the Prime Minister, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice of India, the heads of constitutional authority and similar counterparts in the states. But why all and sundry is given red beacon and security. Even mukhia, sarpanch move with red beacon," the bench said. It asked all the state and Union territories to furnish all the information regarding the persons enjoying police protection and the cost borne by the government on their security. "Let the states file reply giving the names and the designation of the persons to whom security personal have been provided and the number of the security persons provided to them," the bench said. Total cost borne by the state for providing security be also provided within three weeks, the bench said. "Why should the government not take a decision to scrap and make it specific who can use red lights?," the bench said adding that family members of some persons who are living in villages are having dozen security personnel to protect them. The bench was hearing a petition filed by UP resident on misuse of red beacon in the state. The Centre, however, submitted that security should not be confined only to few dignitaries and protection should be given on the basis of threat perception to an individuals.