HC gives Punjab 7 working days to decide on representation of jailed MP Amritpal Singh ahead of Parliament’s Budget Session

A day after Justice Sanjiv Berry recused from the matter, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday gave the Punjab government seven working days to decide on the representation of detained Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who has sought permission to attend the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament beginning January 28.

The direction was issued by a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Archana Puri while hearing Singh’s petition seeking relief to enable him to be present in the Lok Sabha during the session.

Singh, a National Security Act detainee lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh jail since 2023, had on Wednesday moved the high court seeking directions to state authorities to grant him parole to attend the Parliament and make necessary arrangements for that.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain pointed out that Singh’s absence from parliamentary sittings due to detention had already been condoned to a large extent. It was submitted that under Lok Sabha rules, a member can face disqualification only if he remains absent for 60 sittings without permission, and that Singh had missed 32 sittings so far, all of which had already been condoned.

The counsel told the bench that even for the remaining sittings, the Lok Sabha ordinarily grants condonation when an MP is unable to attend due to detention, provided a formal application is moved.

The petitioner’s counsel, Imaan Singh Khara, urged the court to give the state government five days to decide on the MP’s representation. But the Chief Justice pointed out that there were three were holidays, leaving little effective time for the authorities to take a decision.

The bench recorded that the petitioner was only seeking a decision on his representation and not an automatic right to attend the House. It directed the competent authority, in this case the Home Secretary of Punjab, to decide on the representation within seven working days.

The court also underlined the importance of prompt communication of the decision. It ordered that the outcome of the representation be communicated forthwith to the petitioner in jail, to his counsel.

The Waris Punjab De chief had sought a similar permission to attend the Winter Session but it was declined by the state. His challenge in the court was rendered infructuous as the Winter Session had already concluded.

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor Read More