Punjab moves to keep MP Amritpal Singh in Assam jail, HC rejects plea against NSA detention

The Punjab government has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to ensure that Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh remains lodged in a jail in Assam even after the expiry of his detention under the National Security Act (NSA) on April 22.

In a fresh plea, the state submitted that it intends to re-arrest Singh on April 23 in connection with ongoing criminal cases and requested that he continue to be confined at the Dibrugarh Central Jail , citing security concerns and intelligence inputs. The Punjab government also sought permission to conduct investigation and judicial proceedings, including remand and filing of chargesheets, through video conferencing from Assam instead of physically producing him in Punjab.

The court is scheduled to hear the state’s plea on Friday.

Meanwhile, in a separate order, the High Court dismissed Singh’s petition challenging his continued detention under the NSA, including the third detention order issued in April last year. A division bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu observed that the preventive detention order did not suffer from any legal infirmity and was beyond the scope of judicial interference.

Singh has been in custody since April 2023 following a month-long manhunt after the Ajnala Police Station incident, where his supporters allegedly stormed a police station demanding the release of an associate. The episode, which involved clashes with police and reports of armed protesters, had triggered a statewide crackdown.

The plea filed by the Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police argued that Singh’s activities and associations pose a potential threat to public order and national security, justifying continued custody in a high-security facility outside Punjab. The state further noted that the Assam government has consented to his continued lodging in Dibrugarh jail under relevant legal provisions governing transfer of prisoners.

Despite being in detention, Singh contested and won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent candidate. His earlier plea seeking temporary release to attend the Budget Session of Parliament was also rejected by the High Court, which had then underscored that national interest takes precedence over individual considerations.

With the NSA detention nearing its end, the Punjab government’s move indicates that Singh is unlikely to be released, as authorities prepare to pursue fresh legal action to keep him in custody.