India, Aug. 31 -- The Punjab and Haryana High Court has struck down the Haryana government's June 10 ban on foreign travel by its employees till September this year, observing that a blanket prohibition on an entire class of citizens merely because they are in Government service is manifestly arbitrary.

"The factual matrix of the present case is illustrative of a sledgehammer being used to crack a nut, which is impermissible in our constitutional jurisprudence," the High Court said, setting aside the restrictions imposed by the state Government that were "grossly disproportionate to its alleged objective".

Justice Harpreet Singh Brar, in his order on August 27, directed Haryana authorities to grant permission to the petitioner, a nursin...