Two months after the Punjab Government was criticized for “soft peddling” when an industrial unit claimed losses of crores while claiming its lawful operations were stalled, the Punjab and Haryana High Court decided today that protesters can present a demand charter to the court on Friday, after vacating the site.
According to Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj, a committee could also be formed to verify several factors. On Friday, the case will be heard again.
A list of the protesters’ property and personal details was also provided by the government during the hearing.
Malbros International Pvt Ltd and another petitioner filed a petition against the state of Punjab and other respondents through senior counsel Puneet Bali, bringing the matter to Justice Bhardwaj’s attention. During a previous hearing, it was alleged that the unit had suffered more than Rs 17.80 crore in losses.
Judge Bhardwaj had earlier stated that former HC judge Justice RK Nehru would be the chairman of the committee to assess and evaluate the loss to petitioner or others.
It is impossible for the process of law and the sovereign to project a fractured face… The administrators responsible for protecting rights of all competing interests have not shown any grit or determination. A non-committal approach can hardly be regarded as advancing justice, Justice Bhardwaj said.
