PPSC chief moves HC crying vendetta

CHANDIGARH: Yet another addition was made on Friday to a long chain of pleas in the high court against Punjab government accusing it of carrying out vendetta. This time, it was by SK Sinha, chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Stating that present chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his close aides, including vigilance director Sumedh Singh Saini, were hell-bent on implicating him in some case, Sinha prayed for relief against arrest. The petitioner submitted before the division bench, headed by chief justice Vijender Jain, that till the plea was pending, interim directions should be issued to respondents, including DGP and home secretary, to give 10 days' notice before arresting him in any case to be registered against him anywhere in Punjab by any state agency. "The notice has been sought in case any case is registered against the petitioner by the state of Punjab, Punjab vigilance bureau, Punjab police or any other state agency," said Sinha's counsel, barrister Himmat Singh Shergill. Sinha was principal secretary in the previous Congress government and considered quite close to former CM Amarinder Singh. It was during this tenure of Sinha's that cases under Prevention of Corruption Act were registered against the present CM and others. "Ever since, Badal (respondent no 4) has come to power, he has been vindictive towards his political adversaries and those bureaucrats who held important positions in Capt Singh's government," said Sinha in his petition. While Sinha was appointed chairman of PPSC on May 8, 2006, he submitted before the court that a few months after the present CM came to power, PPSC's power to make selections to various posts, including DSPs, tehsildars, excise and taxation officers were withdrawn. Punjab government had requested Union Public Service Commission to recruit officers to state services. But after UPSC's refusal, the state government had contemplated filling up vacant posts in the cadre through promotion. But, this effort, too, failed.
THE TIMES OF INDIA; 29 Mar 2008, 0254 hrs IST , TNN