Punjab and Haryana High Court Rejects Amritpal Singh's Challenge to NSA Detention
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has firmly dismissed a petition filed by incarcerated Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh, who contested the legality of his third consecutive preventive detention order under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). A division bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu delivered the ruling on Thursday, stating unequivocally that the detention order is "clear as daylight" and immune from judicial review powers.
Details of the Court's Decision and Detention Grounds
Amritpal Singh has been held under preventive detention at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam since April 2023, following an initial detention order issued on March 18, 2023. In his recent plea, he specifically challenged a fresh detention order dated April 17, 2025, which received approval and confirmation from the state government on April 25, 2025, and June 24, 2025, respectively. The court's order copy remained unreleased at the time of reporting.
The grounds for his continued detention are multifaceted and serious:
- Authorities accused Amritpal of conspiring with anti-national elements, notorious gangsters, and terrorists with the alleged objective to physically eliminate individuals who might expose his activities.
- His detention is partly based on FIR No. 159 of 2024, related to the murder of Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau on October 9, 2024. Hari Nau, described as a former close associate of Amritpal, had distanced himself and was promoting a counter-narrative against the 'Waris Punjab De' (WPD) organization on social media platforms.
- An intelligence alert dated March 23, 2025, alleged that while lodged in Dibrugarh jail, Amritpal directed the formation of the Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF) International Association in Canada. This association reportedly advocates for an armed struggle to establish "Khalsa Raj in the form of Khalistan," promotes arms training, and plans protests at Indian embassies.
Amritpal Singh's Defense and State's Countermeasures
In his plea, Amritpal Singh strongly contested these allegations. He argued that he was already in detention when the murder of Hari Nau occurred on October 9, 2024, asserting that "there is no possibility or circumstance under which he could have been involved." Furthermore, his legal team claimed that a review of the police report under Section 173 of the CrPC for the murder case "leads towards the conclusion that there is not an iota of evidence" against him.
Concurrently, the Punjab government has taken proactive legal steps to ensure Amritpal Singh remains confined beyond his current detention period, which ends on April 22. The state has petitioned the High Court to issue directions for his continued confinement at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam and to permit police investigations at a designated location in Dibrugarh. State authorities express concerns that his return to Punjab could adversely impact law and order.
The state's plea also seeks authorization to conduct all judicial proceedings—including the production of the accused after arrest, remand, and presentation of the chargesheet—through videoconferencing. This petition is scheduled for a hearing on Friday, highlighting the ongoing legal and security dimensions of this high-profile case.
