Retd high court judge to probe ‘irregularities’ in rights panel

CHANDIGARH The Haryana government on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that the allegations of ‘irregularities and nepotism’ in appointments in the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) would be probed by a retired judge high court judge.

State advocate general BR Mahajan told the HC bench of justice AK Mittal and justice AS Grewal that the government was in the process of making fresh appointments of chairperson and other members of HHRC.

The allegations of irregularities in appointments would be probed by a retired high court judge, Mahajan added.

The HHRC is virtually defunct now. Chairperson justice(retd) Vijender Jain retired in August 2016 and justice (retd) HS Bhalla was made its acting chairperson. He too has retired in September 2017.

The alleged irregularities as per the public interest litigation (PIL) took place when justice Bhalla was acting chairperson.

The PIL was filed in September 2017 by advocate Arjun Sheoran seeking regular appointments at HHRC and seeking probe. Sheoran had submitted that as per Supreme Court directions the process for selection of chairperson and members of HHRC should start three months before their retirement. However, the members have retired, but the government had failed in making the appointments, Sheoran had argued.