SC rejects PIL seeking to withdraw Mukesh Ambani, family's Z+ security

The Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking withdrawal of Z+ security cover given to Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his family while observing that it is for the State to assess and review the threat perception of individual and take a call on such issues.

A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan dismissed an appeal filed by petitioner Himanshu Agarwal against a December 2019 order of the Bombay High Court.

"It is for the State to assess and review the threat perception of individuals on a case to case basis," the top court said in its order earlier this week.

The Bombay High Court had said the State was bound to provide Z+ security to individuals willing to bear the entire cost for security to protect their lives in view of their own grave threat perceptions. The High Court had noted that the Ambani family were willing to bear the entire cost to protect their lives in view of their own grave threat perceptions.

It had held that Mumbai Police Commissioner has no option but to ensure that the highest level Z+ security is provided to these private individuals, adding that "irrespective of whether any individual or any authority is convinced about the existence or otherwise of real threat to their life or liberty, particularly when they are willing to bear the entire cost for said security to protect their lives in view of their own grave threat perceptions".