HC GIVES GOVT 24 HOURS TO TRANSFER ‘TAINTED’ SDM

: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday gave 24 hours to Punjab government to transfer a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), who had managed to get posting in Amritsar district for 19 years.

The high court bench of chief justice Krishna Murari and justice Arun Palli passed the order after government admitted that the official, Amritsar-II sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Kumar Sharma, had spent 19 years of his 23-year service in Amritsar district only. The bench has now fixed the matter for Thursday, asking the state to transfer him by then.

The matter had reached the court through a PIL in 2016 in which his removal was sought. Sharma, was also accused and faced suspension for allegedly preparing a fake power of attorney of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008.

Several FIRs had been registered against him when he served as naib tehsildar, tehsildar and district revenue officer, and in 2011, adverse remarks were made against him when his name came up for promotion. But despite that he managed to get a promotion, the PIL had alleged.

In the last hearing, the court wondered how the official was allowed to continue in the same district for 19 years, particularly when there were allegations of his involvement in a number of criminal cases and having been held guilty in departmental inquiries and declaration as a proclaimed offender in one FIR, as per the petition.