The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday once again deferred the hearing on the parole plea of Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh, with the matter now adjourned to December 18. The adjournment comes amid the continued abstention from work by members of the Bar, leaving a narrow window for the MP to seek parole to attend the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, scheduled to conclude on December 19.
The urgency surrounding the plea was evident in open court, as Chief Justice Sheel Nagu repeatedly called upon the advocates appearing in the matter. However, no counsel responded. Observing the time-sensitive nature of the case, the Bench noted that the plea risked becoming infructuous if not heard promptly, while also remarking that the parliamentary session might be extended, adding, “We don’t know.”
The Court recorded that the State of Punjab had already been heard at length, with senior advocate Anupam Gupta opposing the parole plea over nearly two days of detailed submissions. In view of the ongoing lawyers’ strike, Amritpal Singh appeared before the Bench through video conferencing on December 16, personally addressing the Court.
Detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since April 2023 and currently lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, the MP submitted that his prolonged detention had brought parliamentary work in his Khadoor Sahib constituency to a standstill. He told the Court that critical public issues such as floods, the drug menace, and alleged fake encounters were going unraised in Parliament due to his incarceration.
“The issue is not about me alone. It concerns the electorate I represent. Their parliamentary voice is not being heard,” Amritpal Singh told the Bench, emphasizing that his plea for conditional parole was aimed solely at enabling him to fulfill his constitutional responsibilities as an elected representative.
He further asserted that in a democratic system, elected representatives have the right and duty to raise the concerns of their constituents on the floor of Parliament.
The matter will now be taken up on December 18, just a day before the scheduled conclusion of the Winter Session, even as Amritpal Singh continues to remain in detention far from his home state.