Supreme Court wants Dallewal shifted to hospital, asks Punjab to take call

The Supreme Court on Friday said it wanted farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite fast since November 26, to be shifted to a makeshift hospital near the protest site even as it left it to the Punjab Government to take a call on the issue.

“It is entirely the responsibility of the state of Punjab to ensure stable health conditions of Dallewal, for which, if he requires hospitalisation, the authorities must take a call as to whether he can be shifted to a makeshift hospital, which is said to have been set up 700 metres from the (protest) site,” a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant said.

The Bench, which also included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, asked the Punjab Chief Secretary and the chairperson of the medical board constituted to monitor Dallewal’s heath to file a fresh medical report by January 2, 2025, on his health along with the necessary steps taken to ensure that no harm was caused to him. Noting that its previous directions should continue to operate, the top court gave liberty to the parties to move it for any further directions, if needed.

The order came after Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the Bench that the authorities were ready to shift Dallewal to the makeshift hospital, subject to his own consent as they didn’t want to cause any physical discomfort or trauma to him in view of his health condition.

“Shifting also is not a problem as long as there is no resistance,” Singh said, adding that the authorities didn’t want to take any chance as he was a little frail and given his age any kind of jostling would lead to a decline in his physical state.”

On behalf of the Haryana Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the Bench to pass an order to shift Dallewal to a hospital, saying his health was deteriorating even as Singh said any coercive action might create difficulties on the ground level.

Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press for the acceptance of farmers’ demands.

The Bench, which pulled up the Punjab Government yesterday for not conducting medical tests on Dallewal, heard the matter in two sessions on Friday.

In the first session, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the Bench that doctors were able to conduct all medical tests on Dallewal on Thursday. “The ECG was normal… we have taken blood samples... report has been sent to the court. Largely, all parameters in the blood report are within limit…,” Singh said.

“At the moment, it seems we are in control of the situation. His heart condition was not affected at all… about 20 tests on blood samples were performed… two parameters are marginally abnormal. Uric acid is high… medication is required. But he has refused…. On cancer status, we have found that his PSA values are slightly high, but not dangerous,” Singh added.

The Bench asked him to get an affidavit from the state Chief Secretary and the DGP undertaking that they would shift Dallewal to the make-shift hospital and posted the matter for hearing at 2:30 pm, when it eventually passed the order.