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Chandigarh: Holding that the violent attack on the Ajnala police station shook the “conscience of the entire nation” and amounted to a direct challenge to the sovereignty and integrity of the State, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed at least five bail petitions linked to the incident.

Dismissing the bail plea of Gurmeet Singh Gill alias Gurmeet Singh Bakkanwala, Justice Surya Partap Singh ruled that an unlawful mob, allegedly acting under the influence of Amritpal Singh, had taken the law into its own hands by storming the police station to forcibly secure the release of an associate instead of pursuing legal remedies.

The court observed that the petitioner was part of a mob armed with deadly weapons, which not only defied lawful directions issued by police officers but also inflicted grievous injuries on them while they were performing official duties. The Bench noted that both junior and senior police officers were attacked, underscoring the seriousness of the violence.

“The conduct of the mob, duly recorded and videographed, was not merely a breach of law and order but a direct assault on the authority of the State and the rule of law,” the court held, adding that the incident challenged the majesty of a sovereign nation.

Justice Singh emphasised that the gravity of the offence required deviation from ordinary bail principles. “Extraordinary situations demand extraordinary measures,” the court observed, stating that the violence could not be treated as a routine law-and-order issue.

An FIR in the case was registered at Ajnala police station on February 24, 2012, under provisions of the IPC, including attempt to murder, along with sections of the Arms Act. The High Court also took note of the State’s submission that the trial had been expedited under judicial directions, with most witnesses already examined and proceedings being conducted on an almost day-to-day basis.

Rejecting the plea that prolonged incarceration violated the petitioner’s right to a speedy trial, the Bench said no such infringement had occurred. Referring to a broader pattern of mob violence targeting state functionaries, the court warned that such incidents pose a grave threat to social order and law enforcement. “This court cannot abdicate its constitutional role and turn a blind eye to the suffering of the commoner. Granting bail in the face of such grave allegations would be a travesty of justice,” Justice Surya Partap Singh concluded.