WHAT STARTED as a routine an-ticipatory bhail plea culminated in a landmark ruling on healthcare rights, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court declaring that legible medical prescriptions and diagnoses are an essential part of the right to health and, therefore, a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The order, delivered by Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri on August 27 (Wednesday) stemmed from an anticipatory bail plea in a case alleging cheating, forgery, and rape. The complainant accused the petitioner of promising her a government job in exchange for money, conducting fake inter-views, and sexually exploiting her. The petitioner denied the allega-tions, citing a consensual relation-ship and monetary disputes. The court, noting the petitioner’s co-operation and the payments be-ing for an illegal purpose, granted anticipatory bail without com-menting on merits of the case.
Satinder Duggal
