NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to keep in abeyance the contempt proceedings against Punjab Government's top officers over their failure to shift formers leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on fast since November 26, 2024, to a hospital to take medical aid.
SC Halts Contempt Case Amid Positive Progress in Farmers’ Agitation Talks
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the farmers leader has agreed to move to a makeshift medical facility and the protesting farmers also came forward for talks with the Union government over their various demands including legal guarantee for the minimum support price.
The bench took into record these positive developments, including the Union Government sending a high-level delegation to meet Dallewal and other farmers' leaders, to suspend the contempt proceedings in the instant case.
Farmers’ Leader Dallewal Accepts Medical Aid; Centre-Farmer Dialogue Gains Momentum
"Both sides have agreed to have a dialogue and dispose of the issue in Chandigarh on February 14, 2025. Dallewal has accepted medical aid and his condition has improved and he has been shifted to a hospital 50 meters from the protest side," the court noted.
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Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and Punjab's Advocate General Gurminder Singh, appearing for the state said over 100 farmers have broken their fast and Dallewal has taken medical aid as suggested, without breaking his fast.
"We would like to impress upon Dallewal that he can go to Chandigarh in advance a couple of days before the meeting and have a proper medical checkup at PGI, Chandigarh and take necessary medical aid for his effective participation," the bench said.
The court also noted the high-powered committee also met with Dallewal.
"Following the present development, the contempt proceedings are kept in abeyance and the presence of officials dispensed," the bench said.
The court scheduled the matter for further hearing in February end.
Previously, the bench had repeatedly come down heavily upon the Punjab government over its failure to comply with the December 20 directions to provide medical aid to Dallewal.
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On January 6, the bench was informed that the court appointed committee led by Justice Nawab Singh is going to meet the farmers during the day.
On September 2, 2024, the Supreme Court had set up a high-powered panel headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court's judge, to conduct negotiations with the farmers, holding a sit-in at Shambhu border since February 13, 2024 over their various demands including legal guarantee for minimum support price for their produce.
Besides, a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers demanded implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
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Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26, demanding the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) on crops.
A contempt petition was filed by Labh Singh against the failure of the Punjab government to provide medical help to Dallewal, who has been on hunger strike, in terms of the apex court's order of December 20.
