HC grants interim relief to Virk

CHANDIGARH: Riding the plank of political vendetta, former DGP SS Virk got an interim relief against arrest till April 2 from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday. "Notice of motion to respondents, including Punjab home secretary and DGP, through AG, Punjab, for April 2. In the meantime, if any case is registered against the petitioner during this period, the petitioner shall not be arrested," read the order by Justice HS Bhalla. The order came in the wake of preliminary hearing on the blanket bail plea of Virk. Virk, a 1970-batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, prayed for grant of pre-arrest bail under section 438 of CrPC or grant of 10 days' advance notice in any case likely to be registered against him in Punjab by any agency of the Punjab Police. Following the pattern of previous pleas filed by him, the petitioner expressed fears that he might be implicated in one matter or the other as has been done in the past. Stressing that he was one of the highly decorated police officers of the country and yet was being hounded out by the Akali government, he submitted that the "concept of politically non-aligned bureaucracy is incomprehensible to Parkash Singh Badal". It was also averred that a personal tirade was launched against the petitioner. The petition also mentioned Vigilance director Sumedh Singh Saini. It was averred in the petition that Saini "cannot be trusted to head vigilance bureau and ensure its independent and professional functioning. "Importantly, it was alleged that the Badal government had proceeded to restructure the police and bureaucratic set-up to achieve certain ulterior motives. "Saini is charged with offences under sections 342, 343, 364 and 120-B of IPC and a representation against him has also been made to the Prime Minister on January 22, 2007,"the petitioner submitted. The petitioner also highlighted the fact despite the state counsel admitting that his name did not appear in the FIR 98, registered in Kharar police station, filed by Mohinder Kaur, reportedly a war widow, the case found mention in the charge-sheet submitted against him in the court of special judge, Ropar. Significantly, the Punjab counsel also referred to this FIR in their reply filed before the CAT's Chandigarh Bench where the petitioner had challenged his suspension. The petitioner also stressed that his suspension had been quashed by the CAT ‘s Mumbai bench.

THE TIMES OF INDIA; 27 Mar 2008, 0211 hrs IST , TNN