Punjab CM protest removal of state IPS officer as Chandigarh SSP
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Dec, 2022 01:55 PM
Chandigarh, Dec 13 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has shot a letter to Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, who is also Administrator of Chandigarh, to express resentment over the removal of Punjab-cadre IPS officer from post of Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh.
In a letter, he apprised the Governor that post of Senior Superintendent of Police in Chandigarh has traditionally been occupied by a Punjab-cadre IPS oficer, while an IAS officer of Haryana cadre had been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner.
However, Mann said he was surprised to learn that 2009-batch IPS officer of Punjab cadre Kuldeep Singh Chahal has been repatriated to Punjab prematurely, and further, much to the dismay of the state, the charge of SSP, Chandigarh, has been given to a Haryana-cadre IPS officer.
He said this move was unwanted and undesirable as this is going to disturb the balance among the states in running the affairs of UT of Chandigarh.
Mann further said if due to some reason SSP Chahal was to be repatriated, then a panel of suitable IPS officers should have been sought from Punjab well in advance.
Seeking the kind intervention of the Governor in the matter, the Chief Minister said the state government will shortly be sending a panel of three IPS officers of Punjab-cadre for the post of SSP, Chandigarh.
He expressed hope that soon an IPS officer of Punjab cadre will be appointed as the SSP in Chandigarh.
According to media reports, Mann, who was on a eigh-day trip to Germany till September 18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'. However, AAP has strongly denied the charge, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it as false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals.
The official added that a case was registered against Shailendra Sharma, the Superintendent and Tax Clerk Raman Agarwal on a complaint alleging that they were demanding a bribe of Rs 50,000 which was reduced to Rs 25,000 from the complainant for getting his mutation file processed. The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs 25,000 from the complainant.
Both -- Mandeep, alias Manna Tuffan, and Manpreet, alias Mani Rayia -- were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia. Kandowalia, who was facing dozens of cases of murder and attempt to murder, was gunned down outside a private hospital in Amritsar in August last year. The Bhagwanpuria group had taken the responsibility for the murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Phogat. The move came after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended a CBI probe into the case as per demand of Phogat's daughter and people of Haryana.
The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt). His party - Punjab Lok Congress - though had failed to get even a single seat during the assembly elections.
During deliberations, the Chief Minister envisaged opportunities for mutual collaboration in business and solutions. He said that the alliance could provide on-field handholding to Punjab farmers in best practices of crop management.
