Driving licence scam: Punjab vigilance head, 2 other officers suspended
The other suspended officials are assistant inspector general, VB, SAS Nagar, Swarandeep Singh, and senior superintendent of police, VB, Jalandhar, Harpreet Singh. The government suspended the officers for allegedly not taking action against the people involved in the alleged scam
The Punjab government on Friday suspended state vigilance bureau chief SPS Parmar and two other senior officers in connection with an alleged driving licence scam.
“Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, 1997-batch IPS officer, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 3 (3) of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, for “grave misconduct and dereliction of duty,” reads order of additional chief secretary (home) Alok Shekhar.
The other suspended officials are assistant inspector general, VB, SAS Nagar, Swarandeep Singh, and senior superintendent of police, VB, Jalandhar, Harpreet Singh. The government suspended the officers for allegedly not taking action against the people involved in the alleged scam.
Additional director general of police (NRI) Praveen Kumar Sinha will hold the additional charge of chief director, vigilance bureau. Sinha has been asked to assume posting immediately.
Parmar’s suspension marks the third top-level change in the vigilance bureau in as many months. In February, chief director Varinder Kumar was removed, followed by his successor G Nageshwar Rao in March.
According to a government release, the vigilance bureau, earlier this month, had conducted surprise inspections at regional transport authority (RTA) offices and driving test centres across the state, leading to the arrest of several people allegedly involved in bribery and malpractices.
The operation targeted RTA officials and agents who were acting as intermediaries, charging illegal fees to expedite driving licence processing or manipulate driving test results.
It was found that many licences were being issued without proper driving tests, through agents who were taking bribes from applicants. A total of 16 FIRs were registered and 24 people were arrested, including private agents and some government staff, said the release.
During the investigation, names of senior transport officers also came up. While one officer --- Ramandeep Singh Dhillon --- was arrested, two others, Pardeep Singh Dhillon, RTO Mohali and Ravinder Kumar Bansal, RTO SBS Nagar, are currently on the run.
Despite the availability of evidence, no immediate action was taken against these officers, said the official release. Parmar, who headed the vigilance bureau, was issued a show-cause notice for this delay. However, even after the notice, no meaningful action followed. The continued inaction raised serious concerns within the government. It is also suspected that information may have been leaked from within the vigilance bureau, allowing the accused to flee, the release added.
After a detailed review, the Punjab government took the decision to suspend Parmar for negligence and failure to act against corruption at the highest levels, it further said.
Officials said the decision reflects the government’s clear stand - that no officer, however senior, will be spared if they are found shielding wrongdoing. “The fight against corruption will continue without compromise,” said a senior official. More arrests and internal reviews are expected as the investigation continues.
