Amritsar, October 7, 2026: Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh has received permission from an Amritsar court to speak with his ailing grandmother through a video call while he remains lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam.
The court has permitted a one-time video interaction lasting up to 10 minutes. According to the order, the facility is to be provided within five days, giving Singh an opportunity to speak with his grandmother and enquire about her health while continuing to remain in judicial custody.
The matter reached the court after Singh's lawyers approached it citing the deteriorating health of his grandmother. His legal team had sought relief that would allow him to communicate with her because his imprisonment and the distance between Assam and Punjab prevented an ordinary family meeting.
Additional Sessions Judge Barinder Singh considered the request and permitted the limited video interaction. The relief is restricted to a single call of 10 minutes and does not amount to bail, parole or permission for Singh to leave the jail.
Singh's grandmother had reportedly been unwell and had also required hospital treatment. His lawyers had earlier sought permission on humanitarian grounds so that he could meet or communicate with her. With an in-person meeting not taking place, the court has now provided the option of a short video call.
Amritpal Singh, who represents the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency, has remained in custody at Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent candidate in the 2024 general election while he was in detention.
Singh was originally detained in April 2023 under the National Security Act. After the period of preventive detention under the NSA ended, he continued to remain in custody in connection with criminal proceedings linked to the February 2023 Ajnala police station case. Proceedings relating to the case remain before the courts.
Because Singh is being held in Assam, court proceedings connected with cases in Punjab have also involved video-conferencing arrangements. The latest order, however, specifically concerns his request for communication with his grandmother and should not be interpreted as a change in his broader legal or custody position.
The court's decision provides Singh with a limited opportunity to communicate with an elderly family member during her illness while maintaining the existing custody arrangements. The permitted call will have to take place within the timeframe specified by the court and remain limited to the duration authorised in the order.
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