Cops seek legal opinion to book 27 IAS, PCS officers

The Chandigarh Police has sought legal opinion to register a case against 27 IAS and PCS officers, several of them retired, after a preliminary enquiry recommended the action in connection with several confidential files of Punjab government going missing.

Sources said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Central), Chandigarh, Ashwani Kapoor, who was inquiring into the case wherein 35 files went missing from the personnel department of the state government, has recommended to register a case against the officers. During the inquiry it was found that of the 35, only eight missing files could be recovered by the personnel department.

Earlier the files linked with IAS and PCS officers facing allegations of indiscipline, nepotism and corruption were found missing after they were marked and forwarded to Yog Raj Sharma, the then joint secretary in personnel department. Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh had ordered registration of case against Sharma, who is now retired, in the first week of June 2012 and forwarded the file containing the orders. However, the orders were kept under wraps for almost two months by an officer of the general administration department. The file moved further only after three reminders were sent by the Chief Secretary's office and the dealing officer was shifted to another branch.

Among the 27 IAS and PCS officers facing allegations are a former principal secretary (irrigation), former director (local government), a PCS officer promoted to IAS, a former PCS and two serving PCS officers.

Sources said that Kapoor has sent the file recommending registration of the case to Chandigarh SSP Naunihal Singh, who has marked it to Additional District Attorney for legal opinion. Once cleared, a case is likely to be registered against all the officers whose files went missing, The officers who connived will also face action. It is expected that many more skeletons will tumble out once the case is registered and the inquiry begins.

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