Allow people to meet farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal: HC to Punjab
The high court bench of justice Manisha Batra, disposing of a plea, said that the veteran farmer leader was not in illegal detention as alleged by the petitioner.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday directed Punjab government to allow family, friends or any other person to meet farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
The high court bench of justice Manisha Batra, disposing of a plea, said that the veteran farmer leader was not in illegal detention as alleged by the petitioner.
The plea was filed by Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) vice-president Gurmukh Singh, alleging that Dallewal has been put under illegal detention by the state government .
Responding to the plea, the government said that since the state is responsible for Dallewal’s healthcare as per a Supreme Court order and in view of the same, he has been admitted to Park Hospital, Patiala.
The court was also apprised that the family members and some farmer leaders had met Dallewal at the hospital.
He was free to go home as and when he wanted, the government had told the court.
In view of this, the court held that the farmer leader cannot be said to be in illegal custody of the state and disposed of the plea.
Dallewal, leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political), was “detained” along with Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher following a meeting with Union ministers in Chandigarh on March 19. Following this, the Punjab Police cleared the year-long blockades on the national highways by farmers at the inter-state borders at Shambhu and Khanauri.
