The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, and BJP MLA Anil Joshi on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the transfer of Amritsar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

Terming the transfer as ‘arbitrary and influenced by political pressure’, 13 NGOs from Amritsar including All India Human Rights Association have moved the High Court demanding quashing of the transfer orders.

Arguing on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate and retired Gujarat High Court Judge A S Qureshi, said the Punjab government succumbed under pressure from BJP to transfer Vijay Partap from Amritsar. Counsels for the petitioners, Advocates Bikramjit Singh Pannu and Amit Sharma demanded that the Punjab DGP be directed to cancel the transfer order.

The petitioners submitted that the MLA used his political clout to interfere in the working and performance of official duties of the SSP.

The transfer orders were issued on October 30 after Joshi sat on a hunger strike for three days demanding his transfer.

After the state president of BJP intervened, the hunger strike was called off and soon the transfer orders were issued.

Talking to The Indian Express, Advocate Bikramjit Singh said, “During his tenure as the SSP he had removed illegal hoardings of government functionaries including the present chief minister and deputy chief minister. The state government, however, succumbed to the BJP’s pressure and transferred him.”

The case has been adjourned to December 21 for replies of the opposite parties.