NEW DELHI: As the Punjab Government claimed that the health parameters of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal were stable and improving, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to set up an expert panel to examine six medical reports on his health submitted by the state.
A Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh directed the Punjab Chief Secretary to submit during the day a compilation of medical reports on Dallewal’s health, dated December 19, 24 and 30, and January 3, 9 and 14, to the top court’s Registrar (Judicial), who will send them to the AIIMS Director for an opinion from the expert panel.
Awaiting the AIIMS expert panel’s opinion, the Bench posted for hearing on January 22 the Haryana Government’s petition challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order to remove barricades erected by the police and a contempt petition against the Punjab Chief Secretary and the DGP.
It wondered how the health parameters of a person on fast-unto-death for nearly 50 days were improving.
The court’s comments came after senior counsel Kapil Sibal submitted on behalf of the Punjab Government that “his (Dallewal’s) parameters are fine at this moment”. As Sibal said Dallewal’s health parameters were improving, Justice Kant countered him.
“Where are the latest parameters? Last time, some officers filed an affidavit that his condition is deteriorating… Now, you are saying his parameters are improving… How can it happen,” Justice Kant asked. He wondered how a person’s vitals could improve when he had been fasting for almost 50 days. Sibal and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the Bench that the authorities were in deliberations with the protesting farmers and they were hopeful of a solution. Some progress had been made in connection with shifting Dallewal to a makeshift hospital set up 10 metres from the protest site, Sibal said.
The Chief Secretary and the DGP of Punjab, who are facing contempt proceedings for failing to implement the court’s order on shifting Dallewal to a hospital, filed separate affidavits/compliance reports. The Bench asked the Centre to spell out in two weeks its stand on a petition filed on behalf of Dallewal seeking a direction for the implementation of a proposal, including a legal guarantee on the MSP of crops, made to the protesting farmers in 2021 after the farm laws were repealed.
The apex court said this issue would be taken up separately on January 29.
The Supreme Court had on January 6 adjourned the hearing after being told that farmer leader Dallewal had agreed to meet the Justice (retd) Nawab Singh-led high-powered committee set up by the top court.
“Let us hope something positive emerges out of it,” the Bench had said after Sibal informed it that the protesting farmers led by Dallewal had agreed to meet during the day the Justice Nawab Singh committee mandated to find an amicable solution. Making it clear that it wanted Dallewal to be shifted to a makeshift hospital set up near the protest site, the Supreme Court had on December 20 left it to the Punjab Government authorities to take a call on the issue.
As Dallewal continued to turn down medical help, the top court had on January 2 taken strong exception to a “deliberate attempt” to create an impression that it wanted him to break his fast.