Punjab & Haryana High Court Quarterly Digest: January - March, 2026

Driving Licence Sufficient To Treat Deceased As Skilled Heavy Vehicle Driver; No Interference With MACT Compensation: P&H High CourtTitle: NATIONAL INSURANCE CO. LTD v. VIMAL KAUR AND ORSCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 01The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by an insurance company challenging the quantum of compensation awarded by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT), observing that the driving license was enough to prove that deceased was duly qualified to be treated as a skilled worker in the category of heavy vehicle driver.Justice Sudeepti Sharma noted, "a perusal of the record shows that the driving licence of the deceased was produced... The said licence clearly reflects that the deceased was authorised to drive heavy and medium goods vehicles. Thus, the deceased was duly qualified to be treated as a skilled worker in the category of heavy vehicle driver.'Frame Humane Policy': Punjab & Haryana High Court Seeks Union's Response On Regularisation Of Contractual MGNREGA EmployeesTitle: Ballet Singh and Ors v. State of Haryana and OrsCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 02The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought the Union Government's response on a plea filed by contractual Accounts Assistants working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) seeking regularisation of their services against sanctioned posts.The Court observed that MGNREGA is a flagship welfare programme of the Government of India and it's the effective implementation depends upon the dedicated services of personnel such as the petitioners who have been continuously working for long years against sanctioned posts.Long Incarceration No Ground To Allow Successive Bail When First Plea Rejected By Passing Detailed Order: Punjab & Haryana High CourtTitle: Rajeev Kumar Rana v. Serious Fraud Investigation OfficeCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 03The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a second petition filed by an accused in the SFIO investigation into the Adarsh Group of Companies seeking regular bail, holding that while a successive bail application is not barred per se, however mere long incarceration cannot be the sole ground to allow the plea.Justice Manisha Batra said, "Though, a second/successive regular bail application cannot be rejected solely on the ground of maintainability thereof, but for such petition to succeed, the petitioner is required to show some substantial change in circumstances. In the considered opinion of this Court, however, he has not been able to point out any such substantial change. Merely on the ground of his prolonged incarceration, he cannot be held entitled to seek benefit of bail in this petition especially in the circumstance when his previous petition had been dismissed by passing a detailed order and that order stands upheld by Hon'ble Apex Court."'Bhagavad Gita Reminds State Of Its Duty To Common Good': Punjab & Haryana High Court Orders Regularisation Of Daily WagersTitle: JOGINDER v. STATE OF HARYANA AND ORS.Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 04Emphasising that Indian constitutionalism is rooted in the civilisational idea of Rajdharma, where governance must be guided by justice, fairness and compassion, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that a welfare State cannot, in good conscience or law, continue to extract uninterrupted service from workers while keeping them in perpetual insecurity.Justice Sandeep Moudgil said, "There is, finally, a moral vocabulary that is not foreign to Indian constitutionalism and it runs parallel to our civilisational idea of Rajdharma that the ruler's foremost duty is protection and fairness to those who sustain the State's functioning. Our ancient texts repeatedly place upon the sovereign an obligation to act with nyaya (justice), anrishamsya (non-cruelty), and balanced governance and the idea of lokasangraha as discussed in the Bhagvad Gita's reminds public power that action must serve social stability and the common good, not merely administrative convenience."UAPA | Punjab & Haryana High Court Grants Default Bail In Alleged Terrorism Case, Condones 1415-Day DelayTitle: Avtar Singh v. State of PunjabCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 05The Punjab & Haryana High Court has granted default bail to an accused in an alleged terrorism case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, while condoning an extraordinary delay of 1415 days in filing the statutory appeal, primarily on the ground of parity with a co-accused who had earlier secured identical relief from the Supreme Court and the prolonged incarceration of the appellant for nearly seven years.Hardcore Prisoner Can't Be Released On Emergency Parole Without Completion Of 5 Yrs Of Imprisonment After Latest Offence: P&H High CourtTitle: VIRENDER ALIAS MOLAD v. STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERSCitation: 2026 LiveLaw (PH) 06The Punjab & Haryana High Court has declined to grant emergency parole to a life convict seeking temporary release on account of the...

Punjab & Haryana High Court Quarterly Digest: January - March, 2026

Aiman J. Chishti

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