The Punjab and Haryana High Courtdirected the Haryana government to open the barricade at the Shambhu border near Ambala within a week on an "experimental basis." Farmers have been camping at this site since February 13.

The court also instructed Punjab to ensure that protesters within its territory are "duly controlled as and when the situation requires." The farmers have scheduled a meeting on July 16 to discuss the matter.

In a related development, Haryana's additional advocate general, Deepak Sabherwal, revealed that farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who was killed at the Khanauri border on February 21, was hit by a shotgun bullet, according to a report from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL).

Farmers have been at the Shambhu border since their 'Delhi Chalo' march was halted on February 13. The Haryana government had erected barricades, including cement blocks, on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February when the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) announced plans to move towards Delhi, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The high court's directives came in response to multiple petitions concerning farmer-related issues and blockades, including one filed by Haryana-based advocate Uday Pratap Singh. The court also ordered Punjab to remove any highway obstructions to ensure free traffic flow.

The court emphasized the importance of the highway as a lifeline for Punjab, noting that the blockade was causing significant inconvenience. "There is no free flow even for transport vehicles or buses, and the diversion can only be used by private transport, causing major inconvenience to the general public," stated the division bench of Justices G S Sandhawalia and Vikas Bahl.

The court observed that the number of protesters had dwindled to 400-500 from the earlier 13,000-15,000, reducing the tension. It also noted that similar blockades remained at other entry points, like the Khanauri border in Sangrur district.

Given these circumstances, the court stated, "It would be in the interest of the general public that the state of Haryana does not continue to block the highways indefinitely." The court directed Haryana to open the Shambhu border barricade within a week to minimise public inconvenience.

The court also permitted Haryana to enforce law and order against protesters if they exceeded the limits set by the state. It further instructed farmer organisations to maintain law and order during their agitation.

Speaking to reporters, Sabherwal mentioned that the CFSL report indicated Shubhkaran was hit by a shotgun bullet. The court noted that no police or paramilitary force uses shotguns, and Jhajjar Police Commissioner Satish Balan has been appointed to head the SIT investigating Shubhkaran's case.

Reacting to the court's directive, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced a meeting of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM on July 16 to discuss the issue. Pandher reiterated that the farmers had not blocked the road and were open to allowing traffic if the government removed the barricades. (Source: ET)