HC recalls order of granting relief to former Moga SSP

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday recalled its order of granting relief to former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma after the office of Punjab advocate general sought an opportunity to be heard on the matter.

After taking up petition of the former SSP, the court of Justice Ramendra Jain granted him relief wherein the Punjab Police would give him a seven-day advance notice before initiating any action against him in connection with the 2015 police firing incidents in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot.

After the court passed the order, Additional Advocate General Punjab Rameeza Hakeem approached the court and pointed out that the state was not given an opportunity of being heard in the matter.

She also pointed out that the matter was "suspiciously" listed in the urgent supplementary list at the last moment rather than being in the main list, and the state did not even have a copy of the petition which had been allowed by the court.

Charanjit Singh Sharma, who was arrested in connection with the Behbal Kalan firing incident by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), was presently lodged in the Patiala Central Jail.

Suspended inspector general (IG) Parmraj Singh Umranangal, who was arrested in the Kotkapura firing case by the SIT, was also granted relief by the high court on Thursday.

Taking immediate note of the objections raised by the state counsel, the court agreed that the state had the right to be heard on the matter before any order was passed, Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda said.

"When we approached the court and pointed out that the state was not given any opportunity of being heard in this matter, the court took note of our submissions and recalled the order after calling the counsel of petitioner," said Nanda.

Appearing before the court on behalf of the former Moga SSP, his counsel SPS Sidhu said after the office of AG Punjab sought that they should also be heard in the matter, the court recalled the order and issued a notice.

The court issued a notice for March 28 in this case.