'Try In Next Session': Punjab & Haryana High Court Tells Jailed MP Amritpal Singh As His Plea To Attend Parliament Becomes 'Infructuous'

The Punjab & Haryana High Court today said that the plea filed by MP Amritpal Singh seeking parole to attend the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament has become “virtually infructuous”, as tomorrow is the last day of the session and the arguments could not be completed in time due to abstention from work by lawyers.

Amritpal Singh, a sitting Member of Parliament, had approached the High Court challenging State's refusal to grant him parole to attend the Parliament.

Detained under the National Security Act and lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Singh told Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry that all work in his parliamentary constituency had come to a standstill and that his detention was preventing him from raising core public issues — floods, drugs, and alleged fake encounters, in the Parliament.

During the hearing today, the CJ told advocate Imaan Khara appearing for Amritpal "assuming that we order in your favour, how will that be executed? It will take at least 10 hours from Helicopter to travel from Dibrugarh to Delhi...Try in next session now."

The bench noted in the order that, "Since the lawyers were abstaining from work therefore hearing in this case could not take place. On last three occasions…even today no one appears, arguing counsel is not available. Counsel for respondent is also not available. However Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, appears on behalf of petitioner and informs that winter session is going to be over tomorrow...Since the argument on behalf of respondent could not be completed on December 15 and tomorrow being the last day of winter session, the cause raised in this petition virtually becomes infructuous."

However, the Court gave liberty to approach the appropriate forum to make a similar prayer as when the fresh cause action arises.

Amritpal Singh is a resident of Punjab and an elected Member of Parliament from the Khadoor Sahib Parliamentary Constituency. His plea stated that he was earlier granted parole to travel to Delhi for his oath-taking ceremony when he was sworn in as a MP. The plea also relied on the Delhi High Court judgment in Abdul Rashid Sheikh v. NIA, where another MP, who was in custody under the UAPA, was permitted to attend the Budget Session of Parliament.

Title: Amritpal Singh v. Union of India & Others