OK with petitioner’s list barring two officers: Govt to HC

CHANDIGARH:THE Punjab government on Tuesday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that the court can choose officers of its choice for the SIT to probe illegal mining in the state, but expressed reservation over names of two senior officers. The government counsel told the court that director general of police (DGP, internal vigilance cell) Jasminder Singh and superintendent of police (SP special protection unit with chief minister’s security) Dharuv Dahiya may not be tasked with the probe as they are handling ‘crucial assignments’ for now. Any other officer from the list submitted by petitioner can be tasked with the probe, the government counsel told the court.

These submissions were made during the resumed hearing of a petition filed in 2012, by Gurbir Pannu, a Chandigarh resident, seeking investigation into alleged mining in Punjab. The PIL had alleged rampant mining across Punjab reportedly causing a loss of ₹10,000 crore a year to the public exchequer.

Other names suggested by petitioner’s counsel RS Bains are of Prabodh Kumar, director,bureau of Investigation; IGP (crime) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh; IGP (Rupnagar range) V Neerja; additional DGP (telecommunication and litigation) Gurpreet Kaur Deo among others.

The HC bench of justices AK Mittal and AS Grewal deferred the hearing till May 14, observing that it will take suggestions from all into consideration before passing any order.

THE PIL HAD ALLEGED RAMPANT MINING ACROSS PUNJAB REPORTEDLY CAUSING A LOSS OF ₹10,000 CRORE A YEAR TO THE PUBLIC EXCHEQUER