In an order passed Tuesday, Punjab & Haryana High Court ordered the Punjab government not to appoint any convicted, charge-sheeted police officer to ‘a post having public dealing’.
The Court came down heavily on the Punjab government saying “In our system of governance administered by rule of law, the government cannot act as an absolute despot at its whims and fancies by patronizing certain officers while imparting a step-motherly treatment to others.”
Senior Congress politician Amarinder Singh is the chief minister of Punjab since March 2017.
The Court was hearing the matter of aggrieved police officer Surjit Singh.
The Punjab government had submitted that it had formed a committee to look into the matter.
The Court noted “Till the committee arrives at a decision and considers the individual cases of the officers, no police officer who is charge-sheeted and /or convicted in a criminal case involving moral turpitude, shall remain posted at a post having public dealing.”
It further added “Furthermore they shall not be assigned investigation, either as investigating officer or in a supervisory capacity and will not be posted in the vigilance bureau till the final decision is taken by the committee.
They shall also not be posted in the district where their criminal case is being tried.”
It had asked for the status report before April 28.
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