The Punjab Government has backed off from granting out of turn promotion to its Inspector, who suffered bullet injuries during terrorist attack at Dinanagar police station, in Gurdaspur District in July 2015.
In a reply filed in Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Government has shown its incapacity to promote Inspector Balbir Singh as Deputy Suprintendent of Police, citing Supreme Court orders prohibiting out of turn promotions.
Inspector Balbir Singh had brought the issue to the High Court on being denied promotion to the post of DSP on November 26, 2015 by the Director General of Police. In his petition, Balbir Singh sought directions for quashing order dated November 26, last year, passed by Punjab Director-General of Police, whereby his claim for promotion to DSP’s rank was “flatly rejected”. The rejection, he added, was “illegal, null and void, arbitrary, discriminatory, not sustainable and against the policy decision taken by the Government of Punjab”. Counsel for the petitioner Harchand Singh Baath submitted in the court that Punjab Government in its cabinet meeting held on August 3, while condemning the terror attack, had eulogized the commendable role played by the police officers to counter the terrorists. The cabinet had decided to grant ex-gratia to the martyrs and job to the next of the kin of the deceased cops. It was also decided to give promotions to the injured.
Baath told the court that the decisions taken by the cabinet on monetary benefits and jobs to the wards of the deceased had been implemented. But the petitioner has not been promoted by implementing the decision of the Punjab Cabinet and the announcement made by the Deputy Chief Minister.
Having heard the averment, the High Court adjourned the matter for October 26 for final arguments