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Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab govt reinstates senior vigilance dept officials
The Punjab government has reinstated two senior officials of the vigilance bureau (VB) who were earlier suspended in connection with an investigation into alleged driving licence irregularities, according to copies of the orders seen by HT. The move that has raised questions about the consistency of the government's anti-corruption stance. However, the officer who headed the VB at the time, SPS Parmar, remains under suspension. The reinstated officers — Swarandeep Singh, assistant inspector general, vigilance bureau (SAS Nagar), and Harpreet Singh, senior superintendent of police, vigilance bureau (Jalandhar) — were suspended on April 26 alongside Parmar, a 1997-batch IPS officer. The suspensions had followed the launch of a statewide crackdown on corruption in regional transport authority (RTA) offices and driving test centres. At the time, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government had projected the suspensions as a major step in its anti-corruption campaign, citing 'grave misconduct and dereliction of duty' under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. The state government has not only revoked the suspensions of Swarandeep Singh and Harpreet Singh but also reinstated them to their previous posts in the vigilance bureau. According to the orders issued by the home secretary, their suspension period will be treated as a regular duty period. No official explanation has been provided for the reversal. Despite repeated attempts, home secretary Alok Shekhar couldn't be contacted for comments. Opposition parties have launched a scathing attack on the Punjab government over the reinstatement of the two VB officers. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the credibility of the government's actions, highlighting the inconsistency between the suspension and the reinstatement of the officers. 'First, the AAP government suspended senior VB officers claiming a crackdown on corruption. Now, they're reinstated — same posts, suspension period not even counted. Both decisions can't be right,' Bajwa said. The decision has led to a wave of speculation, particularly since SPS Parmar — who was the Bureau's chief director at the time of the alleged scam — continues to remain suspended. Senior bureaucrats and police officers have questioned the logic behind the decision, pointing out that if the officers who conducted the field-level operations have been cleared, it is inconsistent to hold the supervisory officer solely responsible. 'If the cutting-edge officers are not at fault, how can the supervisory officer be?' said a senior IPS officer on a condition of anonymity. The vigilance operation launched in April had uncovered a widespread bribery network involving the illegal issuance of driving licences through middlemen, who allegedly took bribes to manipulate test results or expedite approvals without proper testing. Since Parmar's suspension, there has been little visible progress in the case under the new vigilance bureau chief, Praveen Kumar Sinha. The two absconding RTO officials — whose arrests were a key reason cited for Parmar's suspension — remain at large. Meanwhile, the Centre has formally approved Parmar's suspension and directed the Punjab government to issue him a chargesheet by June 26. He further alleged that the suspensions may have been politically motivated. 'Did the AAP suspend them to make them fall in line, and now they've complied? This isn't governance. It's intimidation,' he added. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia also criticised the move, pointing out that officers who were deemed 'corrupt' barely three weeks ago have now been quietly reinstated. 'This raises serious questions — either about the officers' integrity or the government's,' Majithia said. He alleged that the officials were initially expected to act against political opponents but did not comply with the government's demands. 'Now, a deal seems to have been struck,' Majithia claimed, suggesting that the reinstatement was a result of behind-the-scenes compromise. Majithia also demanded that the government issue a public apology and reinstate suspended officer SPS Parmar, arguing that his case is no different from those who have now been brought back to their positions.
The Print
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Mann govt changes Punjab Vigilance Bureau chief, 3rd time in less than 2 months
With this move, the AAP government has changed three vigilance bureau chiefs in less than two months. 1997 batch IPS officer Parmar was made vigilance bureau chief 26 March, replacing G Nageshwar Rao who too had stayed on the post for barely over a month. Rao, in turn, had replaced Varinder Kumar, who was appointed as VB chief in May 2022. 1994 batch IPS officer P K. Sinha, who is ADGP intelligence, had been given the additional charge of the vigilance bureau. Chandigarh: The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government Friday suspended vigilance bureau chief S.P.S Parmar along with two senior police officers for failing to nab two accused of an alleged scam at transport offices in Punjab. The two other suspended officers of the vigilance bureau are Assistant Inspector General, SAS Nagar, Swarandeep Singh, and Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar, Harpreet Singh. Highly-placed sources in the Punjab Police told ThePrint that all these changes have been brought about on the behest of the AAP's Delhi leadership, which is closely monitoring the working of the state bureaucracy. Parmar, they said, was shifted for his team's inability to nab two officers, one of them a PCS officer, posted as regional transport officers (RTOs) who are on the run in corruption cases filed following state-wide raids conducted at transport authority offices. On 7 April, in a sweeping crackdown planned and executed by Parmar, VB had conducted surprise inspections at Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices and driving test centers, leading to the arrest of 24 persons allegedly involved in bribery and malpractices. As many 16 FIRs were registered and authorities confiscated Rs 40,900 from middlemen who were extorting money from citizens seeking driving licenses, driving tests and other services. During the interrogation of the arrested persons, the names of senior officers, including those posted as RTOs, cropped up as alleged beneficiaries of the money being gathered by the agents from the public. Two weeks later, the secretary, transport department, gave sanction for the investigation and arrest of these officers. The sources said the investigation sanction was obtained after getting the office of the secretary transport Varun Roojam opened at midnight within hours of his being given the additional charge of secretary transport. Subsequently, VB arrested SBS Nagar assistant transport officer Ramandeep Singh Dhillon and booked Mohali and SBS Nagar RTOs Pardeep Singh and Ravinder Kumar Bansal. The SBS Nagar RTO is a 2023 batch PCS officer. Both Bansal and Singh are on the run, and the VB's inability to nab them in the four days following investigation sanction had led to suspension of Parmar. The same decision was made in the case of Swarandeep Singh and Harpreet Singh who headed the investigation in Mohali and SBS Nagar. Sources in the vigilance bureau added that the officers were dealt 'most unfairly' as expecting arrests in just four days of the investigation sanction did not warrant suspension. A VB spokesperson said the April 7 raids were carried out following numerous complaints received through the Chief Minister's Anti-Corruption Action Line. The operation targeted RTA officials and agents who were acting as intermediaries, charging illegal fees to expedite license processing or manipulate driving test results, the spokesperson added. Among those arrested was Sukhwinder Singh, a private agent from Mohali, who was caught red-handed accepting Rs 2,500 as part of a Rs 5,000 bribe to facilitate a driving license and ensure clearance of the test. In Fatehgarh Sahib, another agent, Paramjit Singh, was apprehended while taking Rs 5,000 for similar illegal services. He further informed that in Ludhiana, the Economic Offence Wing detained three individuals—Pankaj Arora alias Sunny, Deepak Kumar and Manish Kumar—for demanding bribes ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500. The Ludhiana VB range also arrested two more agents, Taisiff Ahmed Ansari and Honey Arora, for allegedly charging Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,500 respectively to secure licenses. In Jalandhar, Mohit and Vijay Kumar were caught red handed accepting Rs 2,000 for fast-tracking driving test appointments. In Hoshiarpur, agent Ashok Kumar was arrested for taking Rs 5,000 to clear a driving test without proper trials. In Kapurthala, agent Sher Amrik Singh was held with Rs 12,000 in cash, the VB spokesperson said. Action was taken against RTA employees—Jatinder Singh, a Junior Assistant and Manish Kumar, a Data Entry Operator—along with two private agents, Kewal Krishan and Kamal Kumar, for their involvement in corrupt practices. Similar actions were taken against private agents and other individuals in Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Bathinda, and Gurdaspur. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: By opposing farmers' stir, AAP is playing to the crowd in urban Punjab. But it's a slippery slope
