SC asks Punjab to submit farmer leader Dallewal’s medical reports for evaluation
A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh ordered that Dallewal’s medical reports from December to January 14 be submitted to the Supreme Court registrar
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government to furnish a complete set of comparative medical reports of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26, for an independent evaluation by the director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
The farmers, led by Dallewal, have been camping along the Delhi border since February 2024 demanding systemic agricultural reforms and legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP), the price at which the government procures key crops.
A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh ordered that Dallewal’s medical reports from December to January 14 be submitted to the registrar of the Supreme Court during the day. The registrar will then forward these reports for examination by the AIIMS director, who in turn will submit his opinion by January 22.
The directive was issued after Punjab’s chief secretary informed the court that Dallewal’s platelet count and hemoglobin levels had improved compared to his December readings. The court’s intervention comes as Dallewal’s hunger strike entered its 50th day, drawing attention to the farmers’ protest at the Punjab-Haryana border, which has lasted for nearly a year.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Punjab government, submitted that Dallewal’s health parameters were “improving,” citing a report from the medical board overseeing his condition. This prompted Justice Kant to express skepticism, questioning how a person fasting for over 49 days could show signs of improvement.
“How can it happen? On one hand, you are saying your doctors are there 24x7, and your medical team is monitoring him. How are the parameters improving?” asked the bench.
Sibal clarified that the term “improving” was a misstatement and that Dallewal’s condition was stable rather than improving. He informed the court that a medical facility was set up just 10 metres from the protest site to monitor Dallewal’s health.
The bench asked the state government to put on record Dallewal’s medical reports so that the AIIMS director could provide an independent assessment of his health, helping the court decide on further action.
Sibal informed the bench that apart from the officials and representatives of the Punjab government, representatives of the central government have also been meeting the protesting farmers.
The court was hearing a contempt petition against Punjab’s chief secretary and director general of police over the ineffective handling of Dallewal’s hospitalisation and the prolonged blockade at the border points.
The bench granted the Union government two weeks to respond to a separate petition filed by one of Dallewal’s close associates seeking a resolution of the farmers’ demands. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on January 29.
Despite ongoing negotiations, a resolution has remained elusive even after the Supreme Court appointed a high-powered committee in September 2024 to mediate and propose reforms.
In earlier hearings, the court reprimanded the Punjab government for failing to hospitalise Dallewal, describing the situation as a “failure of law-and-order machinery” and “abetment to suicide.” The court warned that if harm came to Dallewal, the state machinery would bear responsibility.
Sibal on January 6 informed the court of a breakthrough in negotiations, saying some farmers agreed to meet Justice (retired) Nawab Singh, the chairperson of the court-appointed committee. The deadlock persists as the larger collective of protesters remains firm on their demands.
The court has consistently emphasised the constitutional right to protest while balancing it against public safety and the protection of human life. During earlier hearings, the court expressed concerns over the protracted blockade of border points, disrupting daily life in Punjab and Haryana. Simultaneously, the court also cautioned against irresponsible statements by some “so-called” farmer leaders, who it said were exacerbating the impasse.