EC seeks report after SAD complains of transfer order violation

The Election Commission has sought a report from the Punjab government on a complaint filed by the SAD against an IPS officer for continuing as a member of an SIT despite the poll panel's transfer order.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had approached the commission on Tuesday, seeking action against Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, claiming that he continued to work as a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege and police-firing incidents. The poll body had in April ordered the Indian Police Service officer to be shifted to some other department during the Lok Sabha election.

In a letter addressed to the Punjab chief secretary, the commission asked him to send a detailed report on the SAD's complaint of "non-compliance" of the panel's transfer order of Singh.

The SAD delegation, led by Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, had claimed that the inspector general-rank officer continued to be a member of the SIT despite the government submitting a compliance report.

The delegation had said the election panel's order to remove the officer from the SIT had been communicated to the chief secretary for the compliance.

The SAD leaders had also submitted a copy of the charge sheet regarding the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident, which was signed by him on May 23 as a member of the SIT.

Besides being a member of the SIT, the IPS was also holding the charge of the IG (Crime) and the Organised Crime and Control Unit (OCCU).

Following directions of the poll panel in April, the state government had posted him as the IG, Counter Intelligence (Amritsar), and had relieved him of the SIT charge as well.

A five-member SIT is probing the desecration incidents of religious texts and the police firing in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan that resulted in the death of two protesters in 2015.