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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATES OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH __

CRWP-9084-2026 (O&M)

Date of decision : 13.10.2026 Manish Modi ...Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others ...Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE MANISHA BATRA Present:- Mr. Vinod Ghai, Senior Advocate with Mr. Arnav Ghai, Advocate and Mr. Gaurav Datta, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Ferry Sofat, Addl. A.G., Punjab.

MANISHA BATRA, J.(Oral)

1. The petitioner, who is an Advocate by profession, has filed the present petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India read with Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents to provide police protection to him and his family members, to constitute a Special Investigation Team unconnected with the Khanna Police and CIA Staff, Khanna to inquire into the allegations of surveillance and intimidation, to trace and verify the white Mahindra Scorpio displaying registration Nos.PB-65-DF-6903 and HR-26-E-9808, to preserve the CCTV footage and other electronic record relating to its movement and to register an FIR in case any cognizable offence is disclosed.

2. Brief facts of the case, as set out in the petition, are that the petitioner was enrolled as an Advocate in the year 2009 and is practising at Amloh, District Fatehgarh Sahib. He represents Daljit Kaur and Saudagar Singh in different criminal proceedings. On their behalf, CRWP-4071-2026, CRWP-6103-2026, CRWP-8623-2026 and CRM-M-32530-2026 were filed before this Court, wherein allegations were levelled against the officials of the Khanna Police and CIA Staff, Khanna. The case of his clients in those proceedings is that Saudagar Singh was picked up in the intervening night of 29/30.03.2026 by unknown persons, who had come in a white Mahindra Scorpio displaying registration No.HR-26-E-9808. He was later shown to have been arrested in FIR No.67 dated 25.03.2026 registered at Police Station Payal.

3. As per the petitioner, on 26.07.2026 at about 10:30 a.m. he was going from his residence on Khanna Road, Amloh to the Court Complex, Amloh. A white Mahindra Scorpio bearing registration No.PB-65-DF-6903 and fitted with dark window films came from the Khanna side and started following his vehicle. It kept following him up to the Court Complex and then abruptly turned back. After the petitioner returned home, the same vehicle was again noticed near his house. The CCTV cameras installed at his residence showed the vehicle parked about twenty metres away under the roadside trees. When he came out, it moved towards the front of his house and his family members took its photographs. Four persons with covered faces were seen sitting in the vehicle and the one on the front passenger seat appeared to be carrying a firearm.

4. The petitioner made an online search of registration No.PB-65- DF-6903 and found it to be shown against a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in the name of one Ravi Kumar. He also compared the photographs of this vehicle with the photographs already produced in CRWP-4071-2026. According to him, both show similar damage on the front bumper, identical black corner inserts and the same silver lower skid plate. He, therefore, believes the same vehicle to have been used on both the occasions with different registration plates. On the same day, he submitted a representation (Annexure P-4) to the Director General of Police, Punjab, with copies to the Chairman, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Fatehgarh Sahib. However, no action was taken on the same. Therefore, he has filed the present petition.

5. Notice of motion was issued to respondents No.1 to 5 on 12.08.2026, as the particulars of respondent No.6 had not been given. A joint short reply by way of affidavit of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (D), Police District Khanna has been filed on behalf of respondents No.1, 2, 4 and 5. In terms of the order dated