P’kula DCP suspended

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, August 25

The Home Department, Haryana, today suspended Panchkula DCP Ashok Kumar for the “clerical error” in the order on imposition of Section 144 in the city.

Sources said the initial order announcing imposition of Section 144 did not mention that gathering of five or more persons was not allowed in the city. Instead, it only mentioned that carrying of weapons was prohibited.

The Manohar Lal Khattar government came under fire from the Punjab and Haryana High Court which observed that the former had facilitated the gathering of dera followers by not mentioning prohibition of gathering of five or more persons. 

The government, under fire for its mishandling of the entire CBI court verdict in the Dera Sacha Sauda case against its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, decided to suspend the DCP for this goof-up.