In an extraordinary legal proceeding that stretched through the night, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the immediate release of Kanchanpreet Kaur, daughter of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, declaring her arrest by Punjab Police as unconstitutional.
Unprecedented Night Court Session
The court conducted an unprecedented hearing that began at 8 pm on Saturday and continued until 4 am on Sunday, marking one of the rare instances of night-long court proceedings in recent legal history. The marathon session concluded with the court delivering a strong rebuke to the Punjab Police for overstepping constitutional boundaries.
Kanchanpreet Kaur had been arrested on Friday when she visited the Majitha police station in Amritsar to participate in an investigation concerning cases filed against her during the recently concluded Tarn Taran byelection. The police had registered four separate cases against her under various sections.
Legal Battle and Constitutional Violation
According to Arshdeep Kaler, Kanchanpreet's legal counsel, the court made significant observations about the nature of her arrest. The court ruled that the arrest was unconstitutional because the police had converted a bailable FIR into a non-bailable one by adding Section 111.
"The court explicitly told the Punjab Police that this arrest was carried out beyond every boundary of the Constitution and the law," stated Kaler, emphasizing the severity of the judicial response to the police action.
The legal team had filed a petition challenging the cases registered against Kanchanpreet, arguing that they were politically motivated and legally untenable.
Political Reactions and Future Implications
Following her release, Kanchanpreet expressed gratitude to the almighty and thanked the SAD for their support. "A major victory was achieved," she declared, alleging that the AAP government had registered false cases specifically to suppress Akali Dal members.
The SAD took to social media platform X to celebrate the outcome, posting: "Dictator Bhagwant Mann has been defeated. After an all-night hearing, the honourable court ordered the release of Kanchanpreet Kaur at 4 am. This is a slap in the face of the AAP govt, which has been filing false cases against its opponents out of political vendetta."
The party specifically acknowledged Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khaira and Akali leaders for fighting throughout the night to secure this legal victory.
In a significant political development, Akali leader Virsa Singh Valtoha announced that the SAD was open to Kanchanpreet contesting the ensuing zila parishad elections, indicating the party's confidence in her despite the legal challenges she recently faced.
The case has drawn attention to the intersection of politics and law enforcement in Punjab, with the court's strong stance expected to have implications for how police handle cases involving political figures and their families during election periods.
