High court stays suspension order of Haryana SDM

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday stayed suspension of Sandeep Singh, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Kanina in Mahendargarh district, .

Sandeep Singh, son of former Haryana education minister Bahadur Singh, was suspended on October 1. He had impleaded industries minister Vipul Goel as a party in the case, alleging that his suspension was result of a criminal defamation case filed by him against the minister for the latter’s purported remarks against him and his father during a district grievance redressal committee meeting in Narnaul on September 20. He pointed out that his father was an opposition leader, belonging to the Indian Nationa Lok Dal. The SDM had not attended the meeting.

Appearing for the state, additional advocate general Amar Vivek had told the court that the criminal defamation case filed by Singh had nothing to do with the officer’s suspension and he remained absent in 11 such meetings in the recent past.

Singh had taken casual leave for 80 days in 2016, 56 days in 2017 and 60 days in 2018, whereas a total of only 15 can be availed, Vivek told the court, adding that the officer was issued showcause notices too for his conduct in the past due to this reason.

The court was of the view that nothing adverse could be made out from the annual confidential reports (ACRs) of the years in question by the competent authority. It has now stayed suspension till the next date of hearing. A detailed order is awaited.

Earlier, Singh’s counsel PS Sullar had told the court that the officer could not attend the meeting due to his father’s illness and was on leave since September 14, and did not get agenda for the September 20 meeting.