Introduction:

In a recent development, the Punjab Government informed the Punjab & Haryana High Court of facilitating Amritpal Singh, a detainee under the National Security Act (NSA), to file his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Singh, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Sri Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency in Punjab, sought relief to participate in the electoral process despite his detention.

Arguments:

Amritpal Singh, represented by Senior Advocate R.S. Bain, petitioned the court seeking directions for his release or arrangements to enable him to file his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He alleged deliberate delay by the State of Punjab and the District Magistrate, Amritsar, in issuing necessary instructions, hindering his participation in the electoral process. The Punjab Government, represented by DAG Arjun Sheoran, informed the court of facilitating Singh’s nomination filing process by allowing him to complete paperwork and meet his proposer and advocate in Dibrugarh Central Jail.

Court’s Judgement:

Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj, considering the Punjab Government’s compliance with the prayers made in the petition, deemed the petition “infructuous.” The court acknowledged the submission by the DAG Punjab regarding Singh’s access to nomination forms and paperwork, along with arrangements for administering oath as per electoral procedures. As the relief sought had been fulfilled, the court concluded that further intervention was unnecessary.