The Punjab and Haryana high court has stayed the suspension orders of an assistant food and supplies officer and a food inspector posted at Samrala (Ludhiana), which were allegedly issued at the behest of former MLA and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD's) Samrala halqa in-charge Jagjiwan Singh Khirnian since the officers had raided a godown of an SAD supporter despite Khirnian's opposition.
The directions came from the court headed by justice Mahesh Grover on Thursday when the two aggrieved officers, Jaswinder Singh and Jaspal Kaur, approached the high court seeking quashing of their suspension orders issued on July 25.
The high court had in June stayed the transfer orders of these two officers that were also allegedly effected on Khirnian's intervention.
The petitioners informed the court that they went to inspect the depot of SAD supporter Jatinderpal Singh at Samrala on May 26. After reaching the depot, on a call made by the depot holder, Khirnian reached the spot and directed the inspecting team to return and also ordered the depot holder not to show the depot stock and sales register to the team, it was submitted.
The petitioners also alleged that Khirnian threatened the inspecting team members that if they inspected depots of any of his workers, he would get them transferred from Samrala. Then the petitioners reported the matter to the district food supplies controller, who further reported it to the commissioner, food and civil supplies, and consumer affairs department. But, it was submitted that acting at a very fast pace, Khirnian got the transfer orders of Jaswinder Singh issued for the Moonak centre in Sangrur district and of Jaspal Kaur to the head office at Chandigarh. Thereafter, when the petitioners approached the high court, the transfer orders were stayed on June 16.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioners also alleged that Khirnian threatened the inspecting team members that if they inspected depots of any of his workers, he would get them transferred from Samrala. Then the petitioners reported the matter to the district food supplies controller, who further reported it to the commissioner, food and civil supplies, and consumer affairs department. But, it was submitted that acting at a very fast pace, Khirnian got the transfer orders of Jaswinder Singh issued for the Moonak centre in Sangrur district and of Jaspal Kaur to the head office at Chandigarh. Thereafter, when the petitioners approached the high court, the transfer orders were stayed on June 16.
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