Chandigarh, March 24- The Punjab government today told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal is not in police custody and is free to go anywhere. The Punjab government claimed that the leader of the ‘Sanyukat Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) KMM’ Joint Forum has been admitted to a private hospital in Patiala as per his own free will.
A bench headed by Justice Manisha Batra, taking cognizance of the above claim of the Punjab government and the arguments of the lawyers appearing for the petitioner, directed the state government to ensure necessary arrangements for Dallewal to be reunited with his family members without any hindrance. The High Court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed for Dallewal’s release.
The lawyer appearing for the Punjab government, citing the directions issued by the Supreme Court, said that the state government is responsible for the health care of the farmer leader. He said that Dallewal himself had expressed his desire to be admitted to the hospital and he is free to go anywhere. The lawyer said, “The farmer leader is free to go anywhere. He himself preferred to go to the hospital. The farmer leader’s family can meet him as per the security norms.”
On the other hand, Dallewal’s lawyer claimed that the authorities are preventing the farmer leader from meeting his family. The lawyer said, “Dallewal is not even drinking water and no one is being stopped from meeting him.”
After hearing the arguments of both the parties, Justice Batra said, “The government lawyer has claimed that the petitioner is not in police custody by any legal or illegal means. The farmer leader has been admitted to Park Hospital in Patiala as per his wish. Meanwhile, at the same stage, the petitioner’s lawyer has claimed that the farmer leader is being prevented from meeting his family. Therefore, the Punjab government is directed to ensure that necessary arrangements are made so that the family of the farmer leader can meet him in the hospital. It is noteworthy that the petitioner and farmer leader Gurmukh Singh had claimed that 300 to 400 more members of the farmer organizations are missing. The petitioner also sought the intervention of the court to ensure the safety of Dallewal and other missing farmer leaders. The petitioner had demanded that orders be issued to produce the detained farmer leaders in the court. Advocates Gurmohan Preet Singh, Angrez Singh and Kanwarjit Singh appeared on behalf of the petitioner.