SC Gives Punjab Till Jan 2 To Hospitalise Farm Leader

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended time till January 2 for the Punjab government to comply with its order to hospitalise Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for over a month, after the state informed the court that the farmer leader is willing to receive medical aid if the Centre accepts his proposal for talks.

- Abraham Thomas

Facing the heat from the court for not complying with its order to provide medical aid to Dallewal, whose fast has entered the 35th day, the Punjab government moved an application seeking an additional three days citing intervening circumstances and the ongoing negotiations with farmer leaders at the protest site on the Khanauri border.

Holding a special hearing of the case on Tuesday, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said, "We are not going to say anything on the ongoing negotiation or whatever is going on behind the scenes. We will be happy if something comes through. But we are on compliance of our order."

The bench, also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, allowed the state's application seeking additional time and said, "Taking into consideration the totality of circumstances and keeping interest of justice in view, we are inclined to accept the request to afford some more time for compliance of our order."

Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh informed the bench that a team of intervenors and negotiators had gone to the protest site and met with the protesting farmers. On December 28, when the top court last heard the matter, the Punjab government was pulled up for its failure to provide medical aid to Dallewal and observed that this is not just a "failure of law-and-order machinery" but amounts to "abetment to suicide".