Punjab & Haryana High Court Reserves Order on Habeas Corpus Plea for Farmer Leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday reserved its order on a habeas corpus petition seeking the release of prominent farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The petition sparked a legal debate over whether Dallewal was in police custody or had voluntarily admitted himself to the hospital.
The matter was heard by Justice Manisha Batra, with the petitioner’s counsel arguing that Dallewal was being held in unlawful detention and demanding the appointment of a warrant officer to record his statement. The state, however, strongly denied these claims, stating that Dallewal was not in custody and had opted for hospitalisation on his own accord.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s legal team—advocates Gurmohan Preet Singh, Angrej Singh, and Kanwarjit Singh—also alleged that other farmer leaders who tried to meet Dallewal were detained, a claim the state counsel refuted. The state maintained that it was fulfilling its responsibility for Dallewal’s medical care, citing relevant Supreme Court precedents.
Justice Batra reserved her order for Thursday after hearing arguments from both sides. Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a key figure in the joint forum “Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political),” has been admitted to a hospital in Patiala for the past three days.
Petitioner Gurmukh Singh, a fellow farmer leader, claimed that Dallewal’s alleged detention was an attempt to suppress the ongoing farmers’ protest and intimidate peaceful demonstrators. He argued that such actions were a violation of fundamental rights, including the right to free speech, peaceful assembly, and association under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
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