BJP MP's factory was raided soon after he left AAP along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs: Punjab & Haryana HC

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) not to take any coercive action Trident Limited without giving it a reasonable opportunity of 30 days for rectifying any minor deficiencies at its factory in Dhaula village of Barnala district.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry noted that PPCB had raided the factory only after Member of Parliament (MP) Rajinder Gupta, who owns the company, left the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"An issue which deserves consideration is that of the timing of the raid conducted on 30.04.2026 by a team of officers of respondent No.2/Board, which is in close proximity to the switching of political allegiance by Sh. Rajinder Gupta (Chairman Emeritus of the petitioner Company) from Aam Aadmi Party to Bhartiya Janta Party along with six other members of Rajya Sabha on 24.04.2026," the judgment said.

The Court said the apprehension of political vendetta was reasonably evident.

"By applying the Wednesbury principle, the apprehension in the mind of the petitioner Company that the raid conducted by respondent No.2/Board on 30.04.2026 stems from political vendetta, appears reasonably palpable," the Court stated.

The Court was dealing with a petition moved by Trident Limited to restrain PPCB from taking any coercive steps against the company following the recent raid taken at its premises.

It was submitted that the action was taken only after Gupta, who is Chairman Emeritus of the company, switched his political allegiance from AAP to BJP. In response, the Board said the action was taken as the likelihood of a grave injury to the environment was palpable.

However, the Court said the PPCB failed to show any emergent situation where any stream, well, land or environment was being polluted by poisonous effluents.

Thus, it said it would be appropriate to allow PPCB to take coercive steps "only after affording reasonable opportunity of 30 days to the petitioner Company for rectifying any minor deficiencies."

"The petitioner Company is at liberty to approach NGT u/s 33(B)(c) of the Water Act, in case any coercive steps are taken by respondent No.2/Board u/s 33-A of Water Act," the Court added in the order passed on Friday.

Senior Advocate Munisha Gandhi with advocates Viraj Gandhi and Mr. Adarsh K Dubey represented Trident.

Senior Advocate DS Patwalia with advocate AS Chadha apperaed for PPCB.

Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi, Senior Deputy Advocate General Salil Sabhlok and Advocate Kavita Joshi represented the State.

[Read Judgment]