PCS officers on mass leave from today over RTA arrest in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

Unhappy with the registration of cases by the Vigilance Bureau, bureaucrats in the state are ready to take on the government.

While the PCS Officers Association has already announced that officers will go on mass casual leave for a week, beginning Monday, the IAS Officers Association is learnt to have requested for a meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann tomorrow to express resentment over the registration of a case against their colleague Neelima in the PSIEC plot scam.

Arrest illegal

Narinder Singh Dhaliwal (RTA) in Ludhiana had been arrested illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due procedure on the basis of a mere statement of a private individual. —PCS Officers Association

The PCS association, the first to take up the cudgels against the practice of the VB not taking any prior sanction before it arrested Narinder Singh Dhaliwal (RTA) in Ludhiana, held a meeting in Ludhiana and decided to proceed on mass casual leave.

In a press statement, the association said he had been “arrested illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due procedure on the basis of a mere statement of a private individual.”

“The issue of the arrest of the RTA, Ludhiana, who is also a PCS officer, was discussed as it was identical to the case of Tarsem Chand, another PCS officer arrested last year. The Constitution upholds the rule of law which is available to every citizen. It was noted that in this case, this right has been unconstitutionally denied during the arrest of Dhaliwal. It was noted that under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, no police officer shall conduct an inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act, where the alleged offence is relatable to any decision taken by such public servant in discharge of his official function without the previous approval of the competent authority, who is the Chief Secretary,” it said.

The statement also said the association was distraught with such unorderly conduct of the vigilance wherein the Standard-Operating Procedures under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been blatantly violated. They reiterated that they were against corruption, but were fighting for their rights. Even in the case of IAS officer Neelima being booked by the VB, sanction under Section 17 A was not taken.

“We will also submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister regarding their demands with a copy to the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary, Personnel, the Secretary (Vigilance) and the Secretary (Transport). A complaint against the illegality by the bureau will be submitted to the police complaint authority for taking action against them in both cases,” they said.

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