Indu Malhotra, an advocate and former Supreme Court judge, has been tapped as the head of a panel that will be investigating the recent security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy in Punjab.

Director-General of the National Investigation Agency, ADGP (Security) of Punjab Police and the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana Court will also join the probing panel.

Also Read: Explained | How is PM Modi’s security planned and what happened in Punjab?

Who is Indu Malhotra?

Indu Malhotra, now 65, was named the seventh woman judge to be inducted into the top Indian court. She retired from the position in March 2021, saying she was “leaving the court with a great sense of fulfillment”, media reports suggest. She also became the first woman lawyer to be directly elevated from the Bar.

Malhotra, coming from a family of advocates, became a lawyer in 1983, specialised in arbitration law and became a Senior Advocate in less than 3 decades. She also reportedly topped the Advocate-on-Record examination for the Supreme Court.

According to reports from Indian Express, Indu Malhotra headed the Standing Counsel for the State of Haryana in the Supreme Court for five years, between 1991 and 1996. The renowned advocate also represented organisations like the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Delhi Development Authority, Indian Council for Agricultural Research and Securities and Exchange Board of India before the Supreme Court.

Also Read: Security breach: President Kovind expresses concern, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Being a part of the famed Vishaka Committee, Indu Malhotra was included in the panel of women lawyers who stood up against sexual harassment in 2013.

While being inducted into the apex court as a judge, Indu Malhotra was unanimously picked by the Collegium, Indian Express reported. The Collegium included then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Madan B Lokur, Justices J Chelameswar, Kurian Joseph and Ranjan Gogoi.