HC puts Punjab Dy CM Randhawa on notice over ‘harassment’

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 15

The functioning of Punjab Minister for Home, Cooperation and Jails Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has come under judicial scanner with the filing of a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging harassment and victimisation at his behest.

Taking up the petition, Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu of the High Court has not only put the minister and other respondents on notice, but also restrained him from proceeding with a Vigilance inquiry against petitioner Harinder Singh Sidhu, who was working as Additional Registrar, Cooperative Societies. Appearing on the petitioner’s behalf, senior advocate DS Patwalia and advocate Gauravjit Singh Patwalia contended Sidhu was constrained to approach the court again and file sixth writ petition due to “extremely malicious and mala fide departmental actions of the respondent-minister”. The Bench was told the petitioner was seeking directions to the state of Punjab, the minister and other respondents to implement an order passed on July 22/26 by the Punjab Department of Vigilance in an inquiry dated August 24, 2020.

Among other things, the order said it was considered “more appropriate to hold a regular inquiry against the delinquent official for a major penalty” after careful perusal of the facts available on record. For a fair and proper inquiry, it may be appropriate to appoint a senior serving IAS officer as an inquiry officer and he may be asked to complete the inquiry within 60 days.

Elaborating, Patwalia submitted the short point of consideration before the court was whether the Vigilance proceedings initiated against the petitioner stood terminated in light of the order dated July 22 passed by the Chief Minister, also minister-in-charge of the Vigilance Department, as it was categorically held that a regular inquiry be conducted by a senior IAS officer instead of a Vigilance inquiry. He added the petitioner had been victimised at the hands of Randhawa, a long-time MLA, who had assumed the office of Minister of Home, Cooperation and Jails from October 4. The petitioner was constrained to file four different writ petitions and an LPA on account of the multiple inquiries/harassment faced at the insistence of the respondent-minister. In those cases, interim relief had already been granted by different Benches.

Petitioner seeks regular inquiry

• The petitioner is seeking directions to Punjab, other respondents to implement an order passed by Vigilance
• The order recommended a regular inquiry against the official by appointing a senior serving IAS officer as an inquiry officer