On Wednesday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court provided relief to some leaders by dismissing cases filed against them. All of them had cases registered under Section 188 during the corona period, related to violations of rules. The High Court’s order brings significant relief to leaders of all political parties. Those whose cases were dismissed include former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, AAP spokesperson Malwinder Kang, Arun Narang, Vijay Sampla, Ashwani Sharma, Tarun Chugh, Manoranjan Kalia, Jeevan Gupta, Baldev Chawla, Subhash Sharma, Teekshan Sood, Master Mohan Lal, Surjeet Kumar Jyani, and KD Bhandari.
All of them had filed a petition in the High Court, seeking to quash the FIRs filed against them. It is noteworthy that another case, where the High Court had taken note of the swift disposal of cases against the dignitaries, has sought information on how many FIRs have been registered for violating Covid rules in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
The High Court had observed that during the Covid period, thousands of FIRs were registered under the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act for violating Covid rules. The pleas of leaders and hundreds of common people to dismiss these FIRs are currently under consideration in the High Court.
All these FIRs were filed for violations of Covid protocols from March 15, 2020, to February 28, 2022. The High Court was informed that it is essential to address such cases now, as these cases are unnecessary burdens on the courts.
