New Delhi, February 24
The Supreme Court today directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to provide “adequate” security to city college lecturer S. A. R. Geelani, who had been acquitted in the Parliament attack case and survived a recent murderous attack. It said the feasibility of his protection by the Rajasthan police should be examined.

A Bench of Mr Justice P. V. Reddi and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar, hearing appeal against his acquittal, directed the Police Commissioner either to provide security to him by the personnel from special force under him or by the Rajasthan police, which had been protecting him at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) during his treatment.

In an oral direction, the court further said an application filed by Mr Geelani, seeking probe by some other agency, preferably the CBI, into the February 8 shooting incident in which he was seriously wounded, be kept in abeyance.

His counsel Nandita Haksar persisted that the security of the Rajasthan police be provided to him permanently. She said Mr Geelani had no faith in the Delhi police, which is a prosecuting agency in the Parliament attack case.

The court said the scale of security should be such as required in the present circumstances, while asking Delhi police counsel Gopal Subramaniam whether the city police has any objection about the Rajasthan police protection to him.