HC asks Punjab govt to dismiss all cops convicted of murder

Chandigarh, Feb 17 (PTI) Punjab and Haryana High Courttoday directed the dismissal of police officials convicted ofmurder and sought a compliance report by February 21.

After resumed hearing of a PIL filed by a local advocate,a Division Bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice RanjanGagoi and Justice A G Masih today directed the PunjabGovernment to immediately remove all those police officials,referred to in the PIL, who have been retained in servicedespite their conviction on murder charges.

In his plea, the petitioner alleged that as perinformation procured by him under the RTI Act, two DeputySuperintendents of Police - Ravinder Kumar and RajinderpalAnand - despite conviction for murder under section 302 IPCand having been sentenced to life imprisonment, are stillretained in service.

While Ravinder Kumar, who was earlier dismissed fromservice, was again taken back in service when his sentence wassuspended, the other DSP, Rajinderpal Anand, who was convictedon December 16th, 2007, has not still been removed fromservice purportedly on the ground that approval for hisdismissal has yet not been received from PPSC.

The PIL also referred to five other cases - of ASIMalvinder Singh, Constable Manjit Singh, InspectorHarinderpal Singh, Head Constable Jaswant Singh and ConstableGurcharan Singh - all similarly dismissed from service whenconvicted for murder, but subsequently reinstated on grant ofbail.

The petitioner had contended that under Rule 16.2 (2) ofthe Punjab Police Rules, "an enrolled officer convicted andsentenced to imprisonment on a criminal charge shall bedismissed, provided that in case the conviction of a policeofficer is set aside in appeal or revision, the officerempowered to appoint him shall review his case keeping in viewthe instructions issued by the Government in this behalf."

The PIL had contended that the police officers convictedfor heinous charge of murder cannot be expected to dischargetheir duties for protection of life and liberty of thecitizens and for preserving law and order in an impartial andlawful manner.

After hearing R S Bains, Counsel for petitioner, theBench directed the State Government to immediately take actionfor removal of all the police officials named in the PIL, whohave been convicted for murder charges under section 302 IPC,and to report compliance by February 21, and thereafteradjourned the PIL for further hearing on Monday next forfurther orders.