‘Try In Next Session’: Punjab & Haryana High Court Disposes Plea of Jailed MP Amritpal Singh as Infructuous
Detained Khadoor Sahib MP’s bid to attend Winter Session fails due to delays from lawyers’ strike; court grants liberty for fresh plea in future
NewsArc Report December 18, 2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday disposed of the plea filed by detained MP Amritpal Singh seeking temporary parole to attend the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, terming it “virtually infructuous” as the session concludes on December 19 and arguments could not be completed in time.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted that hearings were disrupted on December 15, 16, and 17 due to lawyers’ abstention from work. Even on the final hearing day, while counsel for the petitioner appeared, submissions on behalf of the respondents remained inconclusive.
Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, representing Amritpal Singh, informed the court that the Winter Session was ending the next day. The Bench observed that any favourable order at this stage would be practically unimplementable, effectively suggesting the MP “try in the next session.” However, the court granted liberty to Amritpal Singh to approach the appropriate forum with a similar prayer when a fresh cause of action arises.
Amritpal Singh, the pro-Khalistan preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De, was elected as an independent MP from Khadoor Sahib in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while in detention. Lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA) since April 2023, he had sought parole from December 1 to 19 to physically attend Parliament and raise constituency issues like floods, drug menace, and alleged fake encounters.
During earlier hearings, Singh appeared via video conferencing and argued that his continued detention had stalled development work in his constituency and silenced the voice of his electorate in Parliament. He had previously been granted parole for oath-taking in Delhi.
The Punjab government strongly opposed the plea, citing law and order concerns and reports from authorities warning of potential security risks. The state had rejected his initial representation for temporary release last month.
The development means Amritpal Singh will miss the entire Winter Session, reigniting debates on the rights of detained elected representatives to discharge parliamentary duties.
