Jaipur, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
In an unusual late-night sitting ahead of Rajasthan’s civic body elections, the Rajasthan High Court held a special hearing from around 10 p.m. on Sunday until the early hours of Monday and granted interim protection from arrest to nine councillors from Hanumangarh and one councillor from Bikaner.
The special hearing was convened after petitions were filed seeking urgent relief in cases registered against councillors and candidates shortly before the civic body elections. The petitioners expressed apprehension that their arrest could prevent them from participating in the electoral process.
Acting on the directions of Chief Justice Dr Sanjay Kumar Agrawal, special Benches were constituted on Sunday night to hear the petitions. The matters were subsequently taken up late at night, with the court granting interim protection from arrest to the 10 councillors.
In Hanumangarh, the petitions were heard by a special Bench headed by Justice Nupur Bhati. The civic body has 60 seats, with the BJP having won 15. Around 32 councillors from the camp of Independent MLA Ganesh Bansal have won the local elections.
Bansal, meanwhile, was arrested in Bikaner in connection with a land case dating back 23 years.
In Bikaner, a Bench headed by Justice Sunil Beniwal heard the petition filed by Congress councillor Maqsood Ahmed and granted him protection from arrest at around 11.15 p.m.
Ahmed’s advocate, Dr Sachin Aacharya, told the court that police had summoned the councillor in connection with an old case. The petition alleged that the timing of the police action could prevent Ahmed from participating in Monday’s voting for the chairperson’s post.
The court had also earlier on Sunday granted interim protection from arrest to councillor Tejpal Mirdha in Nagaur and Sushil Meedha from Shrivijaynagar.
The developments come at a politically sensitive juncture, with indirect elections for mayoral and chairperson posts scheduled in several Urban Local Bodies across Rajasthan. Elections for mayoral posts in the Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations are scheduled for September 25, while chairperson elections are being held in several other municipal bodies.
The petitions have added a legal dimension to the political contest, with political parties seeking the support of councillors ahead of the indirect elections. The unusually late court sitting has also drawn attention because of its timing, amid allegations by political parties that councillors are facing pressure in connection with cases registered against them.
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