The Supreme Court on Thursday indicated it intends to close the farmers’ protest case after noting that the Shambhu-Khanauri border blockade stands resolved. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed the High-Powered Committee to submit its final recommendations in a sealed cover.
The Supreme Court on Thursday moved towards bringing closure to the farmers’ protest litigation, directing the High-Powered Committee constituted to negotiate with protesting farmers to submit its final recommendations in a sealed cover.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the situation on the ground had significantly improved and the blockade at the Punjab-Haryana borders had been resolved through the efforts of multiple stakeholders. The Court noted that vehicular movement on the highways had resumed without any obstruction.
The dispute traces its origins to early 2024, when the State of Haryana blocked the Shambhu-Khanauri stretch of the National Highway to prevent farmers from Punjab from marching to Delhi. The farmers were demanding a statutory guarantee for minimum support price for crops, among other issues. The Punjab and Haryana High Court subsequently directed that the blockade be lifted, following which the Haryana Government approached the Supreme Court.
In September 2024, the Court constituted a High-Powered Committee headed by Justice (Retd.) Nawab Singh, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to facilitate dialogue between the protesting farmers and the governments. The panel also included former Haryana DGP BS Sandhu, agriculture expert Devinder Sharma, Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman of Guru Nanak Dev University, and agricultural economist Dr Sukhpal Singh from Punjab Agricultural University.
Over the following months, the Court also monitored related developments, including concerns over the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who had undertaken a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border. In January 2025, a breakthrough was achieved when the protesting farmers agreed to meet the committee, and Dallewal subsequently accepted medical intervention. The contempt proceedings initiated against Punjab officials over the issue of medical aid to Dallewal were eventually dropped after the blockade was cleared and the National Highway was reopened for traffic.
The Court was informed on Thursday that the committee may now be asked to file its final report. Observing that the matter is now ripe for closure, the bench directed the panel to submit its recommendations in a sealed cover and refrain from disclosing the contents publicly until further orders. The recommendations would thereafter be forwarded to the appropriate governments for their consideration.
The Court was also informed that the honorarium for the committee members had been paid by the States of Punjab and Haryana.
Case title: State of Haryana v. Uday Pratap Singh | SLP(C) No. 6950-6953/2024
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