Punjab seeks dismissal of Amritpal’s parole plea; cites threat to state security

Just about a week after Punjab told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that “a single speech” by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh could “set the five rivers afire”, it today sought the dismissal of his parole plea for attending the ongoing Parliament session by referring to the grounds of detention.

In an affidavit placed before the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, the State said the “gravity and enormity of the grounds of detention and petitioner’s conduct as reflected therein necessitated his continuous and uninterrupted detention for maximum period of 12 months from April 23 in the interest of the security of the state and the maintenance of public order. The affidavit in this regard was filed by Alok Shekhar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Home Affairs, Punjab.

The fresh grounds of detention by Amritsar district magistrate said – among other things –  that Amritpal Singh had been found to be conspiring with anti-national elements, notorious and dreaded gangsters and terrorists with the intent and objective to physically eliminate persons, who in his perception had the potential to publicly expose his “act and misdeeds and his carefully cultivated persona as head of Waris Punjab De, championing the cause of Khalistan separatism, thereby posing a serious threat, jeopardy and prejudice to the security of the state and maintenance of public order”.

It was added the intelligence wing of Punjab Police, vide letter dated October 12, 2024, alerted all the commissioners of police and all senior superintendents of police in Punjab “with a copy to all deputy commissioners and other senior police officers of the State” that his and ‘Waris Punjab De’/sympathisers prepared a list of 15 individuals, “out of which Gurpreet Singh Harinau was killed and this group is further planning to assassinate the remaining persons in the coming days”. It was added that Harinau was his close associate, but later distanced himself due to his “misdeeds and illegal acts” and was killed on October 9, 2024.

Taking up the matter, the Bench fixed the case for further hearing on December 11 after Amritpal Singh’s counsel RS Bains sought time to go through the “voluminous” record placed before the Bench along with the affidavit.

In a related development, the Bench put the State on notice on Amritpal Singh’s separate petition challenging the legality of the third successive detention order issued against him on April 17 under the National Security Act, alleging absence of any credible material linking him with prejudicial activities.

The petition filed through counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema, Imaan Singh Khara and Harjot Singh Mann was argued by senior advocate RS Cheema. Among other things, it was contended that the detention was “arbitrary, void of jurisdiction and violative of constitutional safeguards under Articles 21 and 22”. It was also submitted that Amritpal Singh had remained under preventive detention since April 2023 despite the absence of any supporting material for continued incarceration. Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain appeared for the Union of India in the matter. The case will now come up for hearing in January last week.