Denied entry to Supreme Court for carrying Kirpan, Sikh lawyer mentions matter before CJI

Denied entry to Supreme Court for carrying Kirpan, Sikh lawyer mentions matter before CJI

Distressed at being denied entry to the Supreme Court by security personnel for carrying a Kirpan, advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa today made a mentioning before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi.

“Everyday I am humiliated, harassed because I am carrying Kirpan. Yesterday, I was denied entry due to it”, he said.

The CJI said that he will look into it.

Singh has also sent a letter to the CJI detailing his grievances.

He has stated in his letter that he was denied entry into the Court premises yesterday because he was carrying the dagger, which was longer than six inches.

The letter also states that he had made a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking information on the size of Kirpan that is allowed inside Supreme Court. However, there is “no circular/date/information/judgment/order that permits/regulates the size” of the same.

The letter states that it is a fundamental right to wear and carry the dagger, and that there is no rule/law regulating size of the same for entry into the Court. His letter ends with the request to issue directions to security personnel to allow followers of Sikh religion to carry a Kirpan inside the Court premises.

The Kirpan, a small sword or dagger, is one of the five articles of faith of the Sikh religion.

Read the letter:

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IMG-20190207-WA0009.pdf
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