In the plea filed at the Delhi HC by JP Singh, it was requested that the joint High Court for Punjab and Haryana be divided, with a distinct High Court being established for Punjab in Jalandhar.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition Today (29 Feb), seeking directives to alter the boundaries of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, as well as to relocate the capital of Haryana from Chandigarh to Kurukshetra.
JP Singh’s plea also requested the separation of the joint High Court for Punjab and Haryana, with the establishment of a distinct High Court for Punjab in Jalandhar. Currently, both Punjab and Haryana share Chandigarh as their common capital and High Court.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora dismissed the plea, emphasizing that the Courts lack the authority to alter the country’s or a State’s boundaries, as this falls exclusively within the domain of Parliament.
“This is all that was left. Someone is now asking us to redraw the map of India… Why have you (petitioner) confined yourself only to North India? You should have gone into other parts of the country as well,” remarked the Bench.
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan cited Article 3 of the Constitution, noting that only Parliament can modify State boundaries, and courts cannot instruct the legislature or determine the functioning locations of High Courts.
“I cannot issue directions to the parliament… We don’t reorganise the boundaries of the States. We do not decide which High Court should function from where,”
-remarked Acting Chief Justice Manmohan.
The PIL sought directives to merge Meerut Commissionerate, Sonepat, Faridabad, and Gurugram with Delhi, and Chandigarh with Haryana. Additionally, it demanded the relocation of Haryana’s capital to Kurukshetra and the transfer of Punjab’s High Court to Jalandhar.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court to Hear Plea in March Seeking Release of Detained Rohingya Refugees
Singh argued that Meerut is considerably distant from Lucknow compared to Delhi, making it difficult for Meerut residents to travel to Lucknow for judicial and administrative purposes. Similar concerns were raised for areas like Amritsar, where residents face challenges traveling to Chandigarh.
However, the Bench emphasized that issuing such directives is beyond the Court’s jurisdiction, and the petition exhibited a lack of awareness of Article 3 of the Indian Constitution.
Consequently, the plea was rejected.
CASE TITLE:
JP Singh v Union of India & Ors.
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
