The Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh’s challenge to the legality of his third consecutive National Security Act (NSA) detention. The court stated that the detention order was beyond judicial review, leading to the dismissal of Singh’s petition. Singh had argued that his detention was arbitrary and violated constitutional safeguards under Articles 21 and 22.
Amritpal Singh has been in preventive detention since April 2023 without substantial evidence supporting his continued confinement, as claimed by his counsel. Known as a self-proclaimed Khalistani preacher inspired by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Singh was apprehended in 2023 following an attack on the Ajnala police station after a prolonged pursuit across multiple states.
Currently held in the Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the NSA, Amritpal Singh, who won the Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib in 2024, was briefly released on parole for four days to attend the Lok Sabha oath-taking ceremony. This decision, permitted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has drawn parallels to other detained leaders like Engineer Rashid from Jammu and Kashmir who were allowed to take their oaths.
Last year, the Supreme Court declined to entertain Amritpal Singh’s plea challenging his ongoing detention under the NSA. Instead, the court advised him to approach the High Court first. The Supreme Court bench, led by Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, urged the High Court to expedite the proceedings within six weeks due to the prolonged detention period.
