M A I N   N E W S

Sportsmen’s reversion stayed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12
Acting on a petition filed by officials recruited in the Punjab Armed Police on the basis of outstanding achievements in sports, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed their reversion. The officials were seeking the quashing of show cause notices issued to them in this regard.

The Bench, comprising Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar and Mr Justice S.S. Grewal, also fixed February 19 as the next date of hearing in the matter. Claiming to have represented the nation in different games at international level, Sub Inspector Kanwarjit Singh and 10 other petitioners asserted that on a petition filed by Sub Inspector Swaran Singh they were being reverted on the ground that their promotions were in excess of 10 per cent quota provided in the Punjab Police Rules. However, they had not been impleaded as a party in the petition even though they were affected by the judgement.

Arguing before the court, counsel for the petitioners had added that they were working entirely to the satisfaction of the senior police officers ever since their promotions. It was added that directions should also be issued for recalling a judgement pronounced on April 21, 1998, in the matter.

It may be recalled that the high court had earlier disposed a bunch of petitions seeking directions for reversion of the officers working on ad hoc basis after state counsel had informed the court that all the petitioners had been promoted.

Claiming to have initiated the process of reverting ineligible police officials, the state had earlier stated that substantial orders would be passed in the matter after receiving reply of officials to show cause notices issued to them.

The state had further claimed that 28 officials had already been “reverted to their substantive ranks of C-II constables”.

In an affidavit, it was asserted that a total of 431 officials were promoted from C-II list as Head Constables, “and further to higher ranks in the Punjab Armed Police.... Out of the 431 officials, 337 were sportspersons and 94 officials were non-sportspersons”.

Giving details, it was added that “show cause notices to 47 officials had been issued by Punjab’s Director General of Police. On receipt of reply from them, substantial orders would be passed. Besides this, the remaining 47 officials had also been issued show cause notices by the Additional Director General of Police, Punjab Armed Police. Out of them, 28 officials had submitted their reply which was found unsatisfactory. The officials have been reverted to their substantive ranks. Action regarding other 19 would be taken on receipt of their reply to the show cause notices”.