The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Punjab government an extension until January 2 to comply with its order to hospitalize farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for over a month. The decision came after the state informed the court that Dallewal was open to receiving medical treatment if the Union government agreed to his proposal for talks.
The Punjab government had sought a three-day extension to comply with the court’s order, citing ongoing negotiations with farmer leaders at their protest site as a reason for the delay.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia convened a special hearing on the matter. The bench refrained from commenting on the ongoing negotiations but emphasized the need to comply with the court’s directives. “We will be happy if something comes through,” the judges noted while granting the extension in the interest of justice.
The court had previously criticized the Punjab government on December 28 for failing to provide medical aid to Dallewal, describing it as not only a “failure of law-and-order machinery” but also tantamount to “abetment to suicide.” Punjab’s advocate general, Gurminder Singh, informed the bench that discussions were delayed due to a state-wide bandh and talks with the Union government over demands such as a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee.
Singh added that Dallewal was willing to accept medical aid if the Union government engaged in discussions, as outlined in a letter from the farmers to the Union government. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Haryana, emphasized the urgency of the issue and requested a hearing on January 2.
The Supreme Court had initially directed Punjab on December 20 to urgently hospitalize Dallewal, noting his critical condition and his resolve to continue the hunger strike until demands for agrarian reforms and debt relief were addressed. A contempt petition was filed against Punjab’s chief secretary and police chief for allegedly violating the court’s directions, and they were instructed to be virtually present at the January 2 hearing.
The Punjab government argued it was unable to enforce the court’s order due to farmers forming multiple protective layers around Dallewal, preventing authorities from intervening. The court rejected this justification, stating it would not yield to pressure or condone a “violent face” to the protests. The bench criticized Punjab for tacitly supporting the agitators by enabling a “virtual fort” around the protest site.
On Saturday, the court declared that obstructing medical treatment for someone critically ill was “unacceptable and unheard of,” labeling it a criminal offense equivalent to abetment to suicide. The court further expressed disappointment with Punjab’s inability to balance law enforcement and the protection of human life.
Since November 26, Dallewal has been on a hunger strike, demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, debt relief, and agrarian reforms. Meanwhile, Haryana has approached the Supreme Court against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order to lift a blockade at the Shambhu border, which was set up to prevent farmers from marching to Parliament.
