A contempt petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against Punjab’s Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and the Director General of Police, accusing them of deliberately defying the Court’s order to maintain the status quo at the Shambhu border. This directive aimed to prevent any untoward incidents related to the ongoing farmers' protests.
According to the petition, the Punjab Police conducted a "forceful eviction operation" at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders, deploying over 3,000 personnel. Protesters were forcibly removed, their camps dismantled, and several farmer leaders, including Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher, were detained. The petitioner, Sehajpreet Singh, argues that these actions were taken without obtaining permission from the Supreme Court, which had explicitly ordered the status quo to be maintained.
The Supreme Court had issued the status quo order on July 24, 2024, while hearing the State of Haryana’s petition against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to reopen the Shambhu border. The border had been closed in February 2024 to restrict the movement of protesting farmers from Punjab into Haryana.
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As part of the same order, the Supreme Court directed both Punjab and Haryana to submit phased proposals for the removal of barricades, ensuring a smooth flow of traffic while addressing public inconvenience. Additionally, the Court formed a committee to mediate negotiations with the protesting farmers.
However, the contempt petition alleges that on March 19, 2025, Punjab Police, under orders from the state administration, used excessive force against the protesting farmers at Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
"Contrary to the express orders of this Hon'ble Court, on 19.03.2025, Punjab Police carried out a large-scale police action at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. The operation, led by senior police officials, involved the use of heavy force, illegal arrests, dismantling of protest sites, and destruction of farmers’ vehicles, directly violating the status quo order of this Hon'ble Court. The incidents of forceful removal of farmers were widely broadcast across media channels and reported in newspapers."
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This is the second contempt petition filed against Punjab authorities regarding this issue. Previously, the Supreme Court was hearing another contempt petition against Punjab officials for failing to shift Jagjit Singh Dallewal to a hospital while he was on a fast-unto-death protest. The issue saw progress when Dallewal accepted medical assistance and agreed to discussions with the Union government. Following the Punjab government's intervention, protesting farmers also met Justice (Retired) Nawab Singh, the Chairperson of the Supreme Court-constituted High-Powered Committee, for further negotiations.
The latest contempt petition has been filed by Advocate-on-Record Snehpreet Kaur and drafted by Advocate Angrej Singh.
Case : Sehajpreet Singh vs Gaurav Yadav IPS and others | Diary No.15475/2025
