Punjab Vigilance Bureau transfers challenged in HC

Chandigarh, Mar 19 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Punjab Government and other respondents on a PIL seeking directions to quash the orders of March 8 and 12, pertaining to the transfer and posting orders in the state Vigilance Bureau.

The notices were issued by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rajiv Bhalla on the PIL filed by four Punjab Congress MLAs, namely Jeet Mohinder Singh, Joginder Jain, Jasbir Singh Khungar and Naresh Kumar Kataria.

The petitioners have also prayed to stay the operation of the orders during pendency of the writ petition. The petitioners have also sought directions to restrain the Punjab government from making further changes in vigilance set up while arguing that the appointment of Sumedh Singh Saini an IG level officer was violative of the provision of the State Vigilance Commission Act which specified that only an offcer of additional Director General Police could be posted as chief director Vigilance Bureau.

After the hearing, the bench asked the punjab government to submit record pertaining to transfers under reference and adjourned further hearing to March 23.

UNI