The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the ongoing inquiries by two separate panels of the Centre and the Punjab government into the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Punjab, and said that it will set up a committee headed by a former apex court judge to probe it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said that a formal order to this effect will be passed shortly on setting up of the panel to which the DGP Chandigarh, IG of NIA and the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana HC may be part.

The court said DGP Chandigarh, IG NIA, Registrar General and Additional DG, Intelligence Bureau may be on the panel, according to NDTV.com.

Blaming the Punjab government for the lapse, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta today told the court that there was "complete intelligence failure" and that there has been a "clear violation of the SPG Act". He said the state government had provided no information to the PM's security detail that there were protesters on the route.

The central government, he said, had to form a probe panel as the state government is "defending" police officers responsible for the lapse.

Hitting back, the Punjab government's counsel D S Patwalia said the show cause notice to the Punjab chief secretary "premediates and assumes everything against us". "Twenty four hours given for reply, I don't expect a fair hearing at all. There needs to be an independent probe," he told the court.

Chief Justice Ramana asked the centre that if it wants to take action against state officers, "what remains for this court to do?". "Please don't be under the impression that we are not taking this seriously. This is about the PM's security," the Chief Justice stressed. Rapping the centre, Justice Surya Kant asked, "Who held the officials guilty? Who has heard them? You cannot be against a fair hearing." Justice Kohli said it is "not expected" of the centre to ask the officials to reply within 24 hours.

The top court was hearing the plea of an organisation, Lawyers Voice, seeking a thorough investigation into the breach in Prime Minister Modi's security in Punjab to ensure there is no such event in the future.

On January 5, the prime minister's convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from poll-bound Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.