Supreme Court Dismisses Plea for Probe into Pahalgam Attack
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought a judicial inquiry into the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The petition, filed by Fatesh Kumar Shahu, Mohammad Junaid, and Vicky Kumar, had demanded the formation of a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe the incident.
Hearing the matter on May 1, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant sharply criticized the petitioners, raising concerns that such a move could undermine national security efforts and demoralize the armed forces operating in conflict zones. The bench observed that matters involving terrorism are best left to professional agencies with domain expertise.
“You have a duty towards the country also,” the court remarked sternly. “Is this the way you want to demoralize our forces? Since when did we get expertise for this investigation?”
The petitioners had also asked for the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the terror incident. However, the court firmly maintained that specialized agencies already entrusted with the probe are well-equipped to handle such sensitive matters.
The bench stressed that judicial intervention in ongoing anti-terror operations could set a dangerous precedent and potentially disrupt operational integrity. It further highlighted that speculative PILs filed without adequate legal or investigative grounding do more harm than good, especially in high-stakes national security situations.
By rejecting the plea, the Supreme Court sent a strong message affirming its trust in the capabilities of security forces and investigative agencies, while reinforcing the need to protect their morale during a time of heightened threats and national crisis.
