The Punjab government has moved a fresh plea before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to keep Khadoor Sahib MP and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, even after his current detention under the National Security Act (NSA) expires on April 22. In a significant legal development on Thursday, the High Court also dismissed a petition filed by Singh challenging the third successive detention order issued against him last year.
The state government’s latest move indicates its intent to maintain strict custody of the radical preacher, who has been lodged in the high-security Assam facility since April 2023. Representing the state, counsel informed the bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu that intelligence inputs and ongoing security concerns necessitate Singh’s continued incarceration at the Dibrugarh facility.
While the state pushed for extended custody, the High Court dealt a blow to Amritpal Singh by dismissing his challenge to the third detention order passed under the NSA in April 2024. Singh had sought the quashing of this order, which extended his detention for a period of one year ending April 23, 2025.
The court’s decision follows its earlier stance in March, where it upheld the government’s refusal to grant Singh temporary release for the Parliament Budget session. In that instance, the court had observed that “national interests are paramount when compared to personal interests” and found “no constitutional or legal infirmity” in the state’s decision to prioritize public order.
Amritpal Singh’s legal troubles began following a massive crackdown by Punjab Police in 2023. The action was triggered by the February 23, 2023, Ajnala incident, where Singh and his armed supporters stormed a police station near Amritsar to demand the release of an associate.
Following a month-long manhunt, Singh was eventually arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23, 2023. Despite being in custody, he successfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate, winning the Khadoor Sahib seat.
The Punjab government has consistently argued against moving Singh back to Punjab or granting him temporary release, citing “serious threats to security and maintenance of public order.” While nine of Singh’s associates—also arrested in connection with the Ajnala attack—were recently brought back to Punjab from the Assam jail, the state has maintained that Singh himself remains a unique security risk.
Amritpal Singh’s counsel, Iman Singh Khara, confirmed that the High Court is scheduled to hear the Punjab government’s fresh plea regarding the extension of his Dibrugarh custody this Friday.
With his current NSA term set to expire on April 22, the outcome of Friday’s hearing will determine whether the Member of Parliament will be shifted to a facility closer to his constituency or remain nearly 2,000 kilometers away in Assam.
