The Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed that no coercive action will be taken against Trident Limited till Monday. The assurance was given by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) after the company alleged that a recent raid at its premises appeared to be driven by extraneous and political considerations.
Trident Limited approached the high court after the PPCB carried out a raid at its manufacturing premises on April 30. Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta is the Chairman Emeritus of the company. Gupta is among the seven MPs who recently resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During the hearing of the company’s petition on Friday, counsel appearing for the PPCB submitted before the bench, headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, that no coercive steps would be taken against the company till May 4.
In its petition, the company stated that it was aggrieved by arbitrary, coercive and mala fide action by the authorities while conducting what it termed an “unprecedented raid” at its premises on April 30.
The company alleged that the raid was conducted without prior notice, without communicating any violation, and in disregard of the principles of natural justice. According to the plea, a large team of over 30 PPCB officials carried out the raid at the manufacturing unit in what the company described as a high-handed and coercive manner.
The petition further stated that the scale and nature of the operation were disproportionate, especially when no environmental violation was recorded in the inspection report or panchnama. It claimed such action was inconsistent with past inspections and reflected an alleged abuse of power. The company also argued that the timing and circumstances of the raid raised serious concerns regarding mala fide intent.
"The action appears to be motivated by extraneous and political considerations, particularly in light of recent political developments concerning the petitioner's Chairman Emeritus. Such colourable exercise of power vitiates the entire action," as per the plea.
"The said raid was arbitrary and unprecedented and only conducted with an intention to intimidate the petitioner Company and to settle political score owing to Mr (Rajinder) Gupta's switch of political allegiance," as per the plea.
The company expressed apprehension that coercive steps could follow despite no violation having been established during the inspection. Additionally, the petitioner sought directions from the court to ensure fairness and transparency in any future sampling process. It requested that samples be tested at independent laboratories outside Punjab and collected through neutral agencies to avoid any possibility of bias.
The company also sought protection against disclosure of sensitive information gathered during the raid, stating that it is a listed entity and any disclosure could adversely affect its market position and investor confidence.
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