New Delhi, August 28
A day before he restored work to three High Court Judges said to be involved in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) scam, Mr Justice Arun B. Saharya, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, handed over his final inquiry report into the matter to the Chief Justice of India here on August 26.

Initiated in May this year on the instructions of the Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice B. N. Kirpal, the inquiry into the involvement of the High Court judges took place against the backdrop of confessional statements made by the close associates of the suspended PPSC Chairman, Mr Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu.

As the inquiry proceeded apace, and pending its conclusion, Mr Justice Saharya withdrew work from the three judges on June 28, even as the Punjab Government in a "cover-up" exercise disbanded the Intelligence team headed by the ADGP, Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, which had been assisting the Chief Justice in his inquiry.

The final inquiry report submitted by Mr Justice Saharya to the Chief Justice of India two days ago clearly and strongly indicts the three judges for their role in the PPSC affair, according to knowledgeable sources here.

While the sources are tight-lipped about the exact contents of the inquiry report, it is said to be comprehensive and supported by a large number of documents.

Further details of the report are not immediately available.