Chandigarh, March 22 —The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Punjab government to submit a status report on Monday regarding the alleged illegal detention of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
The directive came during an urgent hearing on Friday evening, held post court hours by Justice Manisha Batra, following a plea filed by Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) vice president Gurmukh Singh. The petitioner, who is also part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), claimed that Dallewal’s detention was unlawful and sought his immediate release.
“The court has issued a notice of motion and directed the state to present a status report on Monday,” Gurmukh Singh’s lawyer, Angrej Singh, mentioned.
The plea alleged that Dallewal’s detention violated his fundamental rights under Articles 21 and 22, as no formal arrest procedures or charges were followed. It also urged the court to ensure the safety of Dallewal and other “missing farmer leaders.”
Dallewal, along with KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, was detained on Wednesday evening in Chandigarh after a meeting with Union ministers. Their detention was followed by Punjab Police clearing year-long farmer blockades at the Shambhu and Khanauri inter-state borders on Thursday.
The petition claimed that 300-400 members of farmer organisations were also missing. It further alleged that Dallewal, Pandher, Manjit Singh Rai, and other leaders were detained without prior notice or explanation, triggering clashes between farmers and the police.
“The detention appears to be an attempt to suppress the farmers’ movement and instill fear among peaceful protesters, violating their fundamental rights to freedom of speech, expression, assembly, and association under Article 19 of the Constitution,” the plea mentioned.
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