HC summons record of major cases registered by the Vigilance Bureau

The Punjab government and Sumedh Singh Saini, Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, were on Monday issued notices by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a public interest litigation (PIL) levelling allegations of political vendetta and illegal functioning against the Bureau.

Jointly filed by Sukhdev Singh Dhillon, former member of Law Commission, Punjab; and advocates Dr Dayal Partap Singh and Parampreet Singh Brar, the PIL levels a series of serious allegations against the Vigilance Bureau. Taking stock of the contentions, a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice R C Gupta issued the notices.

In the PIL, the petitioners have requested the High Court to ask the Punjab government to explain why mandatory Vigilance guidelines have not been complied with. “The Punjab government should be directed to take action against all Vigilance officials who have intentionally been violating the guidelines to serve their own ends”, the petition reads. The petitioners had also sought directions to trial courts to stay proceedings in various FIRs involving former Punjab DGP S S Virk, former CM Capt Amarinder, and other Congress workers, registered by the Vigilance Bureau.

The Bench granted stay over the trial of the Ludhiana City Centre scam and case against former Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab S S Virk, and issue notices to punjab in the cases. It also summoned the entire record pertaining to four FIRs registered by the Vigilance Bureau. The cases involve the Ludhiana City Centre scam; a disproportionate assets case against Amarinder, and a case against Virk. These cases are at trial stage in various lower courts of Punjab.

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