Home Ministry orders premature repatriation of Virk

New Delhi, Apr 11 (UNI) A week after the Punjab government placed its former Police Chief S S Virk under suspension on charge of purchasing land in violation of service rules, the Union Home Ministry today ordered his "premature repatriation" to his parent cadre of Maharashtra with immediate effect.

Mr Virk, an IPS officer of the 1970 batch of the Maharashtra cadre, was suspended by the Punjab Government on April 4, after a police probe linked him to a land deal worth millions in which a war widow was allegedly duped by property agents.

The state government had informed the Union Home Ministry about the suspension of Mr Vir in accordance with the civil services rules.

The state government is required to keep the Union Home Ministry, controlling authority of the IPS cadre, informed of any disciplinary proceedings initiated against any IPS officer.

The repatriation of Mr Virk comes two days after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had a meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

Mr Virk, who was known to be close to former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, was removed as Director General of Police under the directions of the Election Commission in January this year, ahead of the Assembly polls, citing concerns regarding his "credibility and perceived neutrality" during the poll. He was then made Chief Managing Director of Punjab Police Housing Corporation.

The main Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which came to power in alliance with the BJP after the February 13 polls, had repeatedly accused Mr Virk of "favouring" the then ruling Congress.

UNI