Punjab and Haryana HC questions Punjab govt for not allowing ex-IGP Umranangal to resume work, giving until July 15 to comply with order.
The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has questioned the Punjab government for “not allowing” former inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal to resume his work. While hearing a contempt petition filed by him, the bench of justice Rajbir Sehrawat observed that the record of the case shows that state government’s viewpoint has not found “favour” even with the Supreme Court. “Therefore, there is absolutely no ground for not permitting the petitioner to join his duties any more,” it said, adding the government’s conduct called for a “coercive process” but gave them time till July 15 to comply with the order.
It was on February 2 the high court had quashed three suspension orders of Umranangal, including two orders related to the police firing cases of 2015 reported in the aftermath of the sacrilege incidents.
The suspension orders were issued on February 26, 2019, November 20, 2020 and March 22, 2021. The third order was related to an STF (Mohali) FIR in connection with an NDPS case registered on November 6, 2020.
While quashing the order, the court had observed that the state couldn’t pick and choose the rules as per their “suitability” and directed that he be allowed to join the services “forthwith”.
Umranangal had argued that the All India Services discipline and appeal rules, 1969, provides that an order of suspension has to be reviewed by the concerned review committee within 60 days from the date of issuance. However, he remained suspended for almost five years now.
In March, when his joining orders were not issued, he had filed a contempt petition. However, the government had approached the apex court against the high court order but the Supreme Court refused to stay the order in May. In the latest application filed before the HC, he had submitted that even as the SC had refused to interfere with the high court order, he was not being made to join the duties despite high court orders in this regard. The matter will again be taken up on July 15.