Punjab & Haryana High Court Issues Notice to Central Government to Remove Farm Law Protestors from a Patiala Warehouse
Punjab & Haryana High Court seeks response from Central Government over farm protests in a Patiala warehouse
The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Central and Punjab governments on a plea filed by a storage company seeking to relocate or remove the protesting farmers who have occupied its warehouse at Patiala, which is debarring the petitioner from carrying on its business (SM Logistics and Warehousing Co. Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India).
The petitioner contended that the company is suffering a loss of more than 15 crores per day due to the facility being locked. The storehouse of the petitioner is used for storing the goods of three companies namely, Adani Wilmar Ltd, Capital Food Pvt. Ltd. and Technova Imaging Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Agitating farmers have locked the storage facility making it impossible for the petitioner to carry its business
A single-judge bench of Justice Lisa Gill was hearing a petition filed by a Patiala based warehousing and storage company, SM Logistics and Warehousing co alleging that protesters, who are agitating against the recently passed farm laws, have “locked storage facility” thereby, debarring the petitioner from carrying on its business. Such behaviour by the protestors is causing wastage of perishable goods stored in the warehouse.
During the course of the hearing on Tuesday, the State counsel informed the Court that she will get the issue resolved within a few days.
The Court said that in case the matter is not resolved at the district level then higher officials may be involved to resolve the issue accordingly.
It, therefore, proceeded to issue a notice to the Central and Punjab government and posted the case for further hearing next week.
Protestors restricting the company from carrying out its fundamental right
While praying for directions to remove, relocate protesters from the site, the petitioner company stated that the court may consider setting an “example by directing the Respondents to come down heavily on anarchists masquerading as protesters, while at the same time upholding bonafide citizens’ right to protest in accordance with Constitutional values”.
It was the petitioner’s argument that the protesters are restricting the company from carrying the daily course of business, which is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (g) of the Indian Constitution.
The petition also said that some members of the Bhartya Kisan Union had appeared at the gate of the petitioner’s warehouse and illegally locked the warehouse by putting their own lock.
The case will now be heard on March 23.
Advocate Siddharth Batra and Abhinav Sood appeared for the petitioners while Assistant Advocate General, Diya Sodhil represented the State.
Read the copy of the order below:
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