Punjab and Haryana HC says Mewat Section 144 order in public interest

The PIL by advocate Mohammad Arshad contended that the Additional District Magistrate passed the order without identifying any imminent threat to public order and that it violates fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19.

DECLINING to interfere with Mewat administration’s decision to impose Section 144 for two months in the wake of protests against the new citizenship law, Punjab and Haryana High Court Monday said the order appears to have been passed in public interest after an assessment of the situation by authorities, adding the court is “nobody to assess the situation”.

The observations were made by the division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli before dismissing a plea by a lawyer. The PIL by advocate Mohammad Arshad contended that the Additional District Magistrate passed the order without identifying any imminent threat to public order and that it violates fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19.

The court observed, “Today we quash this and something untoward happens, are you going to reimburse…”.
Arshad had submitted that the order was passed only on the basis of an apprehension and it virtually prohibits any kind of protest.