The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday extended interim protection for Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, shielding him from arrest or coercive action by the Punjab government until May 15.
The order, issued by the court of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, comes as the state of Punjab requested additional time to file its formal response to Pathak’s petition. The court directed that the previous interim order, established on May 8, will remain in full effect until the next scheduled hearing.
The legal battle centers on Pathak’s claim that the Punjab Police have registered at least two First Information Reports (FIRs) against him without following standard disclosure protocols. Pathak, who recently defected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), moved the High Court seeking a mandate for the government to “forthwith disclose” the full particulars of these cases.
According to Pathak’s plea, he became aware of the legal proceedings through informal channels and media reports rather than official notification. He alleges that the details—including FIR numbers, dates, and the specific police stations involved—have been deliberately withheld. Furthermore, the petition argues that the FIRs have not been uploaded to the Punjab Police’s official website, a move Pathak’s counsel describes as a “flagrant violation” of mandatory transparency directives.
The MP’s legal team has characterized the lack of transparency as part of a calculated “political vendetta” following a major shift in the state’s political landscape.
Pathak was one of seven Rajya Sabha MPs who quit the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP on April 24 to join the BJP. The mass resignation served as a significant blow to the party, with the departing members alleging that AAP had moved away from its founding principles and core values.
The group of defecting MPs included six representatives from Punjab—Sandeep Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, and Vikramjit Sahney—as well as Delhi MP Swati Maliwal.
During the initial hearing on May 8, the Punjab government assured the court that no coercive action would be taken against Pathak without judicial permission. With the state’s counsel seeking more time to gather instructions, the High Court has effectively frozen any potential police action for the next three days.
The court is expected to deliberate on whether the Punjab government must disclose the specific details of the alleged FIRs during the upcoming hearing on Wednesday.
