The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday recorded an assurance that no coercive action shall be taken against Trident Limited till Monday and adjourned the matter, after a late-night inspection by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) triggered allegations of procedural irregularities, apprehended closure action, and claims of selective targeting.A Bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu was hearing a writ petition challenging what was described by the petitioner company as an “unprecedented raid” and apprehended follow-up action based on sampling conducted by PPCB officials.Recording the stand of the PPCB, the Court made it clear that the matter required consideration on merits and granted a short adjournment. It also indicated issuance of notice in the petition.Senior Advocate Munisha Gandhi with counsel Viraj Gandh and Adarsh Kumar Dubey appeared for petitioner Trident Limited.Appearing for the petitioner company, Senior Advocate Gandhi projected that a 30-member PPCB team conducted an inspection around 7.30 pm and allegedly did not follow prescribed sampling norms.The petitioner submitted that under the statutory protocol, samples are required to be taken in triplicate—one for the industry, one for the Board, and one for testing—but alleged that this procedure was not followed.It was further claimed that employees were not allowed free movement during the inspection and that a handwritten report was obtained late at night, which was signed “under protest.”The petitioner apprehended that adverse test results would be used to initiate immediate coercive steps, including closure directions and disconnection of electricity.The petition also sought to link the inspection to alleged extraneous considerations, submitting that heightened regulatory action followed a recent change in political affiliation by a MP Rajinder Gupta prominently associated with the companyIt was contended that regulatory pressure was being mounted despite the company being fully compliant and operating under valid consents under the Air Act and Water Act, with continuous monitoring data already available with regulatory authorities.The petitioner also submitted that it operates multiple industrial units including yarn, paper, sulphuric acid, and towel manufacturing, and claimed it is among the largest global manufacturers in its segment.Opposing the petition at the threshold, counsel for PPCB senior advocate DS Patwalia described the plea as “totally misconceived,” asserting that the inspection was routine in nature and that no coercive action had been initiated.It was also argued that laboratory reports from the sampled material were yet to be received, and therefore any apprehension of immediate punitive action was premature.The court was told: “It was just a routine inspection. We are not taking any coercive action as of now.”It was further pointed out that any statutory process, including assessment of samples, would require time and that no final decision had been taken.After hearing both sides, the court recorded the assurance that coercive action would not be taken till Monday, when the matter would be taken up again.The court accordingly adjourned the matter, allowing both sides to seek instructions and present their detailed stands on the next date.Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta is the founder of Trident Group.His recent switch from the AAP to the BJP on April 24, along with six other MPs, was referred to during the course of hearing by the company’s counsel.