CHANDIGARH: The AAP government in Punjab is currently mulling over legal options to recommend the dismissal of Deputy Inspector General of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar who was arrested last week by the CBI in a disproportionate assets case. Rs 7.50 crore cash, jewelry, and papers of more than 50 properties were recovered from his possession.
Sources said that the state government is likely to send a formal recommendation to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking the dismissal of Bhullar.
The government can recommend disciplinary action to the Union government, which must then be approved by the President of India.
As under Article 311 of the Constitution and the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, only the President of India has the power to remove or dismiss an IPS officer after due process.
It is learnt that till now no IPS officer in Punjab has so far been dismissed from service.
On October 18, the state government had suspended Bhullar under Rule 3 (2) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, which provides for deemed suspension of an officer detained for more than 48 hours.
A senior official of the government, on condition of anonymity, said that they have been asked to explore how the state can dismiss an IPS officer. "The state has limited powers, as only the President of India can do so," he said.
"The government was keen to act swiftly to restore its anti-corruption image, as the party leadership wants to send out a clear message that when it comes to corruption, no one will be spared, be it an MLA or an officer," said a party leader.
This case has become a political flashpoint, with opposition parties accusing the government of systemic failure in policing and vigilance oversight, thus demanding accountability from the chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Even Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria had questioned the state government’s failure to detect corruption. He wondered how could corruption on such a scale went unnoticed despite vast administrative machinery in place.
Kataria had said, "If such wrongdoing was happening in plain sight, then the system itself is accountable."
