Amritpal yet to get fresh detention orders, HC defers hearing to June

Proceedings in the Amritpal Singh case failed to make any headway on Tuesday in the absence of fresh detention orders against him. The Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed during the resumed hearing that fresh grounds of detention had not yet been supplied to the Khadoor Sahib MP, who is lodged in the Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA).

His counsel told the court that he did not have instructions, as of now, to challenge his third detention order. Appearing before the Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel, senior advocate RS Bains, representing Amritpal, said he would still press for adjudication on the matter already under consideration by the court.

Bains added the second detention order expired today, while the third was yet to be supplied. He, however, had instructions to press the petition against the existing detention order.

He said the court was required to be determine whether social media posts could be used as evidence to detain an individual.

Initially, Amritpal and nine others were detained under the NSA. But the state revoked the NSA against the others in March and April this year, while extending his detention for a third year. Senior advocate Anupam Gupta, appearing on the state’s behalf, informed the Bench about the status of cases involving other detainees, most of which had been rendered infructuous following the expiry of the detention period. The matter will now come up for resumed hearing in July.

Punjab