Medical aid to Dallewal: SC to take up contempt plea against Punjab Chief Secretary, DGP on Monday

Amid reports about deteriorating health conditions of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Supreme Court will on Monday take up a petition seeking contempt of court against Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav for their ‘failure’ to implement its order on shifting him to a hospital.

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Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26, 2024 to press for the acceptance of farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops.

The matter is listed before a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh for hearing on January 6.

It’s also likely to take up another petition filed by Dallewal’s friend Guninder Kaur Gill seeking implementation of the commitments made to farmers by the Centre.

As Dallewal continued to refuse medical help, the top court had on January 2 taken strong exception to a “deliberate attempt” to create an impression that it wanted him to break his fast.

“There is a deliberate attempt in the media by your state govt officers to give an impression that the court is pressuring him to break the fast. Our direction was not to break his fast. We only said that let his health be taken care of and he can continue his peaceful protest even when he is hospitalised. You have to persuade him from this angle,” it had told Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh.

“Shifting (him) to the hospital does not mean he will not continue his fast. There are medical facilities which will ensure that no harm is caused to his life. That is our only concern. His life is precious as a farm leader. He is not aligned to any political ideologies and he is taking care of only the farmers' cause,” Justice Kant had said.

“Your attitude is that there should be no conciliation. That is the whole problem,” Justice Kant told Singh who sought to clarify that the Punjab Government was all for conciliation.

The Bench had also questioned the Centre for not making a statement that it would consider genuine demands of protesting farmers.

“Your Lordships are perhaps not aware of several factors which are weighing in. Therefore, right now we are confining (ourselves) to one person’s health,” Mehta had replied.

Making it clear that it wanted Dallewal to be shifted to a makeshift hospital set up near the protest site, the Supreme Court had on December 20 left it to the Punjab Government authorities to take a call on the issue.