MUMBAI, 22 March 2008 — The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed the suspension of former Punjab Director General of Police Swardeep Singh Virk by the Punjab government for alleged corruption and asked the federal government as well as Maharashtra and Punjab to file their replies within two weeks.
The stay will allow Virk to continue with his service.
Tribunal member Jog Singh, who heard the application on Thursday, held that after repatriation of Virk on March 10 last year to his parent cadre of Maharashtra, Punjab did not have any administrative control over the applicant and he came directly under the control of the state of Maharashtra.
Virk, the highly decorated police officer of 1970-batch Indian Police Service, was appointed director general of police during Congress rule in Punjab. He was suspended by an Akali Dal-BJP government that came to power later on charges of corruption despite an order of March 10 last year that sent him back to Maharashtra.
Jog Singh asked the Maharashtra government to pay Virk full salary from the date of his repatriation or from the date he reported for duty on April 27, 2007.
He said the state government was at liberty to post Virk to an “appropriate post.” meaning he could be appointed as one of the four directors general of police after the retirement of P.S. Pasricha.
