The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought from the Punjab government a copy of the health report of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast, so that the medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) can take opinion about his health condition.
Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotishwar Singh’s bench wondered how the health of a person who had been fasting for nearly 50 days could improve. The bench directed the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government to present the investigation report of Dallewal before the Registrar of the Supreme Court today itself.
The bench directed the registrar of the apex court to send the report to the AIIMS director to seek opinion from the medical board on Dallewal’s investigation report.
The top court also took note of the Punjab government’s submission that officials were in discussions with the protesting farmers and were hopeful of a solution.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Punjab government, said that some progress has been made regarding shifting of Dallewal to a temporary hospital, which has now been set up 10 meters away from the protest site.
Sibal also told the bench that representatives of the central government were also meeting the protesting farmers. The Punjab government said the protesting farmers have been persuaded to meet Justice (retd) Nawab Singh, who heads the committee, following which the 70-year-old farmer leader met the apex court-appointed committee on January 6.
Dallewal, convenor of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (non-political), started fast unto death on November 26, 2024. He refused to accept medical aid offered by the Punjab government and his health recently deteriorated.
Farmers under the banner of SKM and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year after being stopped by security forces from marching towards Delhi.
