Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to interfere with the preventive detention of Amritpal Singh under the National Security Act (NSA), dismissing his petition against the order and backing the State’s stand on security concerns.
Delivering its verdict, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu stated that the detention order did not warrant judicial review, effectively closing the legal challenge raised by the Khadoor Sahib MP.
Singh had approached the court alleging that his continued detention since April 2023 lacked legal basis and infringed upon his constitutional rights. He claimed there was no credible evidence to justify repeated extensions of his custody and argued that the action violated safeguards meant to protect personal liberty.
The petition also stressed that his public engagements before detention were focused on social reform, including campaigns against substance abuse and efforts to engage youth. It maintained that his speeches were rooted in cultural and constitutional themes, rejecting any allegation of promoting violence.
Questioning the grounds of detention, Singh pointed to a recent FIR cited by authorities, asserting that his name was not originally included and that there was no substantive proof connecting him to the case. He argued that ongoing criminal proceedings could not be used as a blanket reason for invoking preventive detention laws.
Opposing the plea, the State argued that the detention was necessary due to the seriousness of the threat perception. Legal representatives highlighted intelligence inputs referring to a suspected “hit list” and alleged links between the petitioner and individuals involved in criminal and extremist networks.
The court, after reviewing the submissions, accepted the State’s position and concluded that the detention order was legally sustainable. With this ruling, Singh’s continued custody under the NSA remains in force.
