LI Network
Published on: November 21, 2023 at 17:47 IST
The Punjab Police has strongly contested a petition in the Punjab & Haryana High Court filed by the alleged associate of Amritpal Singh, the chief of the ‘Waris Punjab De’ organization. The petitioner, Sarabjit Singh Kalsi, challenges his preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA).
Kalsi, currently held in Dibrugarh jail, was arrested on charges of being a “close associate of Amritpal,” participating in the “vandalization of Ajnala Police Station,” and actively furthering the agenda of Amritpal’s organization to promote separatism in Punjab.
In response to the plea, the police argue that Kalsi cannot invoke the benefit of Article 21, emphasizing that the provisions of Article 21 cannot be extended to the extent that it jeopardizes law and order.
The reply filed by SSP Amritsar states, “In fact, by taking the benefit of Article 21, the petitioner will be given the right to life and personal liberty, and the whole State and General Public will be at stake. Thus, the petitioner cannot be given any benefit under Article 21 by misinterpreting and ignoring the other facts and circumstances at the ground level.”
According to the police, Kalsi actively supported Amritpal in conspiring against the State for the creation of a separate nation named “Khalistan.”
Kalsi faces charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to waging war against the State, and his involvement in the attack on Ajnala police station.
In response, Kalsi contends that he has been falsely implicated and detained under NSA for eight months without proper arrest or trial. He asserts that the ‘Punjab Waris de’ organization was established to address agricultural reforms and combat the drug menace in Punjab.
The Punjab Police asserts that Kalsi’s detention is well-founded, lawful, and has received approval from the State Government, Central Government, and a committee supervised by a retired High Court Judge.