HC stays CRPF officer's demotion

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today stayed the demotion of a senior CRPF officer ordered by the Union Home Ministry following alleged discrepancies in his physical fitness records.
S S Sandhu, who was posted as Inspector General of CRPF (Operations) here before the Union Home Ministry ordered his demotion, has filed a petition in the High Court seeking quashing of the order reverting him to the rank of Deputy Inspector General.
The stay order was issued by Justice Yaqoob Mir who listed the case for hearing after two weeks.
In his petition, Sandhu had sought directions to the Home Ministry to continue to treat him as incumbent of the post of IG with all powers, authority, benefits and privileges as vested under law.

On April 4, the Home Ministry issued the order to demote Sandhu and asked him to join as Deputy Inspector General at the CRPF headquarters in Delhi.
Sandhu had challenged the medical board's recommendation of declaring him unfit for promotion and suo motu submitted a report from another panel of doctors which was not authorised as per CRPF rules.
A meeting was recently held by the Union Home Secretary during which a fresh panel of AIIMS doctors was formed which examined him and found him unfit for promotion.