CHANDIGARH: A Punjab minister Joginder Singh Mann complained to chief minister Beant Singh against the alleged highhanded behavior of S.H.O., Phagwara, and requested him to transfer him away from there. The ministers made the complaint when he attended a meeting where the chief minister as well as the Punjab police Chief K.P.S. Gill was present. Mann made his complaint in a whisper tone to the chief minister which Gill overheard. The chief minister after listening to the minister’s complaint remarked that if that was so, the official concerned would be transferred. But Gill who overheard the talk promptly put his foot down on any such move by the Chief minister when he countered the suggestion by saying that the Phagwara police official was one of his good officers and that there was no need to transfer him. Beant Singh was embarrassed by the blunt opposition to his proposal by K.P.S. Gill. The chief minister tried to cover up his embarrassment by advising the minister to go away and that he would look into the matter.
Not long ago, the Punjab governor General Mal hot read wanted to transfer Mohali S.H.O. but he was over-ruled by the Punjab police chief.
The Indian prime minister himself empowers the police chiefs in Punjab to enjoy unlimited powers even vis-a-vis the state’s highest executive authority and always decides in favor of the police and against the executive authority on all matters pertaining to the police. That is why no government dare take any action against any erring police officials in Punjab irrespective of the nature of complaint against him.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1992
