HC stays departmental inquiry against SP Premkumar

Chennai, Apr 21 (UNI) Madras High Court today stayed a departmental inquiry initiated against suspended Superintendent of Police K Premkumar, pursuant to a charge memo relating to certain allegations levelled against him.

Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, who granted the interim stay, also granted time till June 5 to state Home Secretary S Malathi to file her counter, on a petition filed by Mr Premkumar.

In his petition, the police official had also sought to quash an order issued by Inspector General of Police (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) and inquiry officer Uma Ganapathy Shastri and to direct him to send the documents stated in the charge memo to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for expert opinion.

Mr Premkumar had submitted that while he was undergoing medical examination at the General Hospital on September four 2006, by some 'strange coincidence', Ravi Subramanian, an approver in the murder case against Kanchi mutt seers Jayendra Saraswathi and Vijayendra, was brought for treatment to the same outpatient department.

The Home Department, through an order on September eight 2006, placed him under suspension on the ground that an inquiry into certain grave allegations was contemplated.

He made a number of representations seeking the reason for suspension but there was no response, he submitted.

On November 23 2006 a charge memo was framed stating that he unauthorisedly gained access and met Ravi Subramanian, who was in judicial custody and under treatment at GH. The memo said that he not only offered inducement but also threatened the approver to escape from custody with a view to bring disrepute and embarassment to the state government.

UNI