“Security Has Become a Status Symbol”: Allahabad High Court Issues Strong Remarks on Petition Demanding Protection

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has delivered a stern observation on a petition seeking police protection, emphasizing that taxpayers’ money cannot be used to create a privileged class.

Hearing the petition filed by Vikas Chaudhary and others, a bench comprising Justice Saral Srivastava and Justice Sudhanshu Chauhan remarked that determining the nature of threat and the provision of security should be left entirely to the concerned authorities. The Court stated that there is no need for judicial intervention in such matters.

Security Should Not Be a Status Symbol

The bench noted that taking security from the state has increasingly become a symbol of status. The Court clarified that under Article 226, it cannot direct authorities to provide security to any individual. The assessment of danger and subsequent assignment of protection personnel is a matter for competent officials, not the judiciary.

Petitioners’ Claims

The petitioners had sought police protection claiming threats to their life, citing incidents such as phone hacking, damage to a brick kiln boundary wall, and a false trust deed case. The Court observed that protection was already provided by competent authorities after assessing the threat.

Upholding Constitutional Principles

The Court underscored that India functions on the written Constitution, which guarantees social, economic, and political justice to all citizens, along with equality of status and opportunity. It noted that the state cannot create a privileged class of individuals through special security provisions, as this would violate the principles of justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution.

In conclusion, the Court made it clear that decisions regarding security must be taken by appropriate authorities and not by the judiciary, reinforcing the principle that state protection is a functional necessity, not a marker of social standing.