Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed the dismissal of Gursher Singh Sandhu as Punjab Police Deputy Superintendent of Police over the controversial interview of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Justice Namit Kumar held that the state could not establish circumstances warranting dispensing with a regular departmental inquiry and ordered the Punjab government to reinstate Sandhu with all consequential benefits.
The impugned order, whereby the petitioner has been dismissed from service by dispensing with the regular departmental inquiry, is accordingly liable to be set aside, the court held.
Court order, however, stated that the quashing of the dismissal order and reinstatement would be without prejudice to the state's right to continue with the departmental inquiry that was already pending against Sandhu and other police officials before an inquiry officer.
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