High Court order on Dallewal’s custody today

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday reserved its order on a habeas corpus plea seeking farm leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s release, as arguments and counterarguments continued over whether he was in police custody. The state insisted he was not in custody and had voluntarily opted for hospitalisation, while the petitioner’s counsel argued to the contrary and sought a warrant officer’s appointment to record Dallewal’s statement.

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Appearing before Justice Manisha Batra’s Bench, the petitioner’s counsel alleged that farmer leaders who attempted to meet Dallewal were detained, a claim the state counsel refuted. As both sides maintained their positions, Justice Batra fixed the matter for orders on Thursday after hearing rival contentions.