IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANAAT CHANDIGARH DECIDED ON: 24.03.2026 HEMPREET SINGH .....PETITIONER VERSUS STATE OF PUNJAB & ANR.

.....RESPONDENTS CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURYA PARTAP SINGH Present: Mr. Ravinder Singh Randhawa, Senior Advocate with Mr. Lachhman Singh and Ms. Harmeet Kaur, Advocates for the petitioner.

Mr. I.P.S. Sabharwal, DAG, Punjab.

SURYA PARTAP SINGH, J.

The order dated 31.08.2023 (Annexure P-2), hereinafter being referred to as ‘impugned order’, passed by the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class Ludhiana, hereinafter being referred to as ‘trial Court’ only, is under challenge in the present petition. The present petition has been filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, hereinafter referred to as ‘BNSS’ only.

2. By virtue of abovementioned order, the learned trial Court while holding a trial for the commission of offence punishable under Sections 279, 337, 338 and 427 of Indian Penal Code, has declared the petitioner to be a proclaimed person.

3. In nut-shell, the facts emerging from record are that the petitioner was facing a trial for the commission of offence punishable under Section 279, 337, 338 and 427 of Indian Pe