JUDGMENT

KULDIPSlNGH, J.—A letter-petition dated 29-5-1994 by Navkiran Singh and 16 other advocates practising in the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh and various other places in Punjab voicing their concern over the kidnapping/elimination of advocates in the State of Punjab was addressed to the Chief Justice of India. Copies thereof were sent to all the Judges of the Supreme Court. A note was received from the residential office of one of us (Kuldip Singh, J.) desiring that the letter be treated as a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, if permitted under the Rules, and be placed before an appropriate bench. The petition was examined by the PIL cell of the Supreme Court and it was decided to treat the letter-petition as a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India.

2. Paras 3 and 4 of the writ petition are reproduced hereunder:)

"3. The Punjab situation is not unknown to anybody. Rather, it has gone to international sphere. The most talked about matter is the failing of the rule of law at the hands of the State Administration and its law-enforcing agencies, more prominently the police and paramilitary forces. For the present, we are not