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Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday held that detained MP Amritpal Singh will not be able to attend the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, ruling that his petition seeking permission had “virtually become infructuous.”

At the outset, a Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu questioned the practical executability of any order, even if relief were granted. The court noted that Amritpal is lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, and transporting him to Delhi would be logistically unfeasible at this stage. “Given the distance, it would take at least ten hours even by helicopter,” the Bench observed, underlining that the relief sought was no longer workable.

Session Nearing Conclusion

The court noted that an effective hearing could not take place on December 15, 16, and 17 due to lawyers’ refusal to work. Even on the day arguments resumed, submissions on behalf of the respondents remained inconclusive. Counsel for Amritpal informed the court that the Winter Session was scheduled to conclude on December 18. With the remaining time insufficient to grant any meaningful relief, the Bench held that the cause had lost its immediacy and purpose.

“In these circumstances, no effective relief can now be granted,” the court said, while clarifying that Amritpal would be at liberty to approach the court again if a fresh cause of action arises in a future parliamentary session.

Detention Under the NSA

Amritpal Singh, the Khadoor Sahib MP, has been detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since April 2023 and is currently lodged in Dibrugarh. He had appeared before the court via videoconferencing on December 16, choosing to address the Bench himself due to the lawyers’ strike. He had argued that his continued detention had paralysed work in his constituency, preventing him from raising key public issues — including floods, drug menace and alleged fake encounters — in Parliament. “The issue is not just about me. It concerns the electorate I represent. Their parliamentary voice is not being heard,” Amritpal had submitted. While declining to proceed further for the current session, the High Court left the legal question open for consideration in future, signalling that the matter could be revisited if similar circumstances arise again.