The Supreme Court has raised concerns over the failure of Punjab Government’s panel advocates to appear in cases where notice has already been served. This issue was flagged by a bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar while hearing an appeal filed by the Punjab Police against the High Court’s order granting regular bail to Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Bikram Singh Majithia.
Court’s Displeasure Over Absent Lawyers
On March 4, the Supreme Court issued an interim order directing Majithia to appear before the Punjab Police on March 17 for questioning in a drug-related case. However, during today's proceedings, the absence of Punjab’s panel advocates in the Supreme Court was once again noted.
Justice Maheshwari expressed his dissatisfaction, stating:
"Mr. Advocate General of Punjab... in your State, even after service of notice, your panel advocates in the Supreme Court are not appearing. We have already referred to this in two orders. This is an everyday drama. Every day, we cannot go to your home and knock on your doors. Then, you will say the Supreme Court is not allowing me to sleep. Notice has been served, summons has been served to your officers, and what is your State doing?"
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Justice Aravind Kumar also added:
"State of Punjab means absent. Not only in criminal cases, but in civil cases as well, nobody is appearing. If it were just one case, that would be understandable, but this is happening in every case."
Advocate General’s Assurance
Advocate General Gurminder Singh, who was present in court, acknowledged the issue and assured the bench that he would take necessary corrective measures. He responded:
"This should not happen, My Lords. I will check. This is the first time it has come to my notice, and I will make sure it never happens again."
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Developments in Majithia’s Case
Regarding the case of Bikram Singh Majithia, the Supreme Court noted that he has been cooperating with the investigation. As a result, the court decided to take up the matter again after two weeks.
Senior Advocate S. Muralidhar, appearing for Majithia, informed the bench that his client had already provided answers to 150 written questions submitted by the Punjab Police. He further expressed concerns over the police conducting frequent press conferences about the case.
"Every day, a press conference is being held. The answers given are being disclosed to the press. This cannot be misused," Muralidhar argued.
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In response, Advocate General Singh denied any press conferences being held by the police. He also stated that the ongoing investigation has revealed certain 'startling facts' and assured the court that an affidavit detailing these findings would be filed soon.
The Supreme Court will review the matter again in two weeks.
Case Details: THE STATE OF PUNJAB Vs BIKRAM SINGH MAJITHIA| SLP(Crl) No. 3650/2023
