SC refuses to entertain Punjab firm’s plea against farm law protesters

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 10

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a Punjab-based company’s plea for a direction to the Centre and the Punjab government to remove the “anarchists masquerading as protestors” who disrupted its business.

SM Logistics & Warehousing Co. Pvt. Ltd alleged that the protesters occupied its warehouses in the name of protests against the three farm laws.

A Bench led by Justice UU Lalit said the company can move the Punjab and Haryana High Court in three days for the relief. It also gave liberty to the petitioner to amend its petition and make the protesting organisations/groups as parties and the High Court should consider the matter at the earliest.

The petitioner claimed that its warehouse was used for storing goods of three companies—Adani Wilmar Ltd, Capital Foods Pvt Ltd and Technova Imaging Systems Pvt. Ltd.—in temperature controlled environment and it has not been able to access its place of business since February 19.

It wondered how a corporate entity could seek enforcement of a fundamental right. “It’s a law and it’s settled. You have to have someone else as co-petitioner. It may be an officer bearer or shareholder. Company is corporate entity and legal body by itself. You have to have someone else,” it said.

The petitioner’s counsel said, “We don’t know who these people are. They keep changing. These are unscrupulous people and not even real protesters sitting at protest. My client tried to talk to these groups but they refused to move and they are not allowing me access to my property.”

The bench said it can’t pass orders without hearing the protesters. It also sought to know if he had made any representation to the district administration. The counsel said the representations didn’t elicit any response.