The timing of the removal of Haryana Assistant Advocate General Anuradha Bali, who is known to be close to the state Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan, has sparked off speculation over the reasons for her removal without ascribing any reason.

The order issued on Wednesday just stated that her services were no longer required. All attempts to contact her today went futile as she had switched off her mobile. She could not be located at the Chandigarh address given by her to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Advocate General Haryana, Hawa Singh Hooda said Bali’s termination was a government order and he could not say anything about it. “These are political appointments and the government does not give any reason either for the appointment, or for dismissal,’’ he said.

Hooda said that generally this extreme step was taken if the person concerned failed to meet the terms and conditions of his or her contract. The action may be necessitated if the person was absent from the duty for a long time and due to this the government’s legal work was suffering. “In the past too the Haryana government had removed several AAGs,’’ he said.

Asked why the action was not taken against her earlier, the AG said whenever any matter of complaint or prolonged absence was brought to the notice of the office of the AG, it could recommend action. And in this matter the notice was taken recently.

However, some law officers from Haryana in the Punjab and Haryana High Court said it was well known to everyone that Anuradha Bali had not been attending office for a long time. “She had been appointed in May 2006 by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in the state. But she was rarely seen in the office ever since,’’ said a law officer.

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