New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition filed by Amritpal Singh, the incarcerated Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib, challenging his detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria advised the 32-year-old radical Sikh preacher to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court instead. The apex court also instructed the high court to hear and decide his plea within six weeks of filing.
Amritpal Singh, who leads the outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’, has been held at Dibrugarh Jail in Assam since his arrest earlier this year under the NSA. Despite being in custody, he contested and won the Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib as an independent candidate.
The bench’s decision effectively redirects the legal challenge to the appropriate jurisdictional court, following established judicial procedure for preventive detention cases.
Singh’s detention under the NSA, invoked on grounds of national security and alleged extremist activities, has been a subject of political debate in Punjab, with several groups calling for his release and questioning the prolonged preventive custody.
The Supreme Court’s directive now puts the onus on the Punjab and Haryana High Court to evaluate the legality of his detention and deliver a verdict within the stipulated timeframe.
