'Bandi Singhs' case: High Court gives govt, morcha last chance to end issue

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 17

Just about five months after a non-government organisation filed a PIL seeking the removal of encroachment by Qaumi Insaaf Morcha protesters in Mohali, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today gave a “last opportunity” to the state government as well as the morcha to resolve the issue.

Taking up the petition filed in public interest, the Division Bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeewan also fixed September 5 as the next date of hearing in the matter before making it clear that its earlier orders issued on March 10 were required to be followed in letter and spirit.

Protest a potential risk: PIL

• In its PIL, NGO Arrive Safe expressed fears that such large gathering might turn violent and take shape of lawless mob
• Those engaged in daily pursuits or residing in Mohali and nearby areas are at risk, it says, requiring HC’s intervention
• Already a clash had broken out between protesters and police, which had left many police personnel injured

The Bench made it clear that all steps were required to be taken by the respondents to ensure that none of the roads leading to Chandigarh from Mohali district was, in any manner, allowed to be obstructed or hindered, “leading to the stoppage of movement of traffic, putting life and property of the government and citizens at peril apart from causing inconvenience to the commuters and common man on the roads”.

Among other things, the petitioner-organisation — Arrive Safe Society of Chandigarh — had earlier contended it was learnt that the protesters were seeking the release of Sikh prisoners.

The organisation, through its president Harman Singh Sidhu, submitted nobody could be certain when and under what circumstances such a large gathering of persons might turn violent and the protest might take “shape of a lawless mob disturbing peace and harmony of innocent passersby, those engaged in their daily pursuits or those residing in their property in Mohali and nearby areas”. Describing it as a “crucial issue”, Sidhu added it required the high court’s timely intervention “at a pre-emptive stage”.

Sidhu added it had been reported in newspapers that a clash broke out between protesters seeking the release of Sikh prisoners or “Bandi Singhs” and police officials when the demonstrators were heading towards Punjab CM’s residence in Chandigarh. The injured included seven women police personnel. In all, 11 police personnel of Mohali district were injured and admitted to the Phase 6 Civil Hospital.

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