In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday ruled in favor of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal, quashing three suspension orders related to his involvement in the 2015 police firing cases that followed the sacrilege incidents.
The suspended orders, issued on February 26, 2019; November 20, 2020; and March 22, 2021, were contested by Umranangal, who had previously approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking relief. However, the CAT dismissed his plea on February 1, 2023, prompting Umranangal to approach the high court on February 15, 2023.
Gauravjit Singh Patwalia, Umranangal’s counsel, along with senior advocate DS Patwalia, confirmed that the high court had granted relief against the CAT orders. While the detailed judgment is pending, Patwalia emphasized that all three suspension orders were challenged in the petition, and the high court ruled in favor of Umranangal on Friday. The bench, comprising Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma, pronounced the judgment, providing a significant legal victory for Umranangal.
In his plea seeking the restoration of his services, Umranangal argued that the All India Services Discipline and Appeal Rules, 1969, stipulate that a suspension order must be reviewed by the concerned review committee within 60 days of issuance; otherwise, it shall stand revoked.
The first suspension order, issued on February 26, 2019, followed Umranangal’s arrest on February 18, 2019, in connection with the Kotkapura firing incident case. This incident, arising from the aftermath of the sacrilege incidents in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in 2015, resulted in the alleged killing of two protesters in police firing at Behbal Kalan, with additional injuries reported from the firing incidents in Kotkapura. Umranangal faces accusations in both firing incidents, and this legal development holds implications for his ongoing legal battles and professional standing.
