Punjab serves chargesheet on dgp virk

deepak pace

DJ_DEE
Chandigarh January 8:
In an unprecedented move against a DGP-rank officer, Punjab government on Wednesday served a detailed chargesheet upon Sarabjit Singh Virk accusing him of "politicking and misuse of official position". Copies of the document were then despatched to ministry of home affairs (MHA) and Maharashtra home secretary.
The chargesheet comes in the wake of a June 8, 2008-letter from MHA under secretary K Natarajan which clearly stated that under All India Service Rules-1969 the authority to institute disciplinary proceedings and impose penalty on an erring officer was vested with the state government with which the officer was serving. Thus, it was for the Punjab government to probe Virk's misconduct and, on finding cogent evidence, initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.
"Though a copy of the chargesheet has been sent to Maharashtra government, it is only to serve the same on Virk who, in any case, has been sent a copy separately. It is the Punjab government that will impose a major penalty, read dismissal from service, on him," said a top government source.
Virk, presently posted in Maharashtra, faced Punjab government's ire for allegedly indulging in "politicking" and concealing facts related to property. The ruling Akali-BJP coalition has now framed `eight articles of charge' to pin down the 1970-batch IPS officer perceived to be close to former Congress CM Amarinder Singh.
The most damaging charges relate to Virk's alleged "unethical" role as a "political strategist and fund-raiser" to further partisan interests of a national party and "for repeatedly lying and concealing information in annual property returns, misusing official position, constructing and managing illegal resort, opening 35 bank accounts in assumed names, preparing false medical certificates, etc".
The chargesheet says, "You (Virk) have not maintained integrity and devotion towards duty and have done series of misconducts which is unbecoming of a member of All India Services". Significantly, there is an annexure that refers to a hand-written political note and diaries of Virk. The said note, titled `Actionable points for Lok Sabha elections-2009', was allegedly recovered from the officer's briefcase when he was arrested by government agencies in September 2007.
Sources said the note, allegedly "hand-written" by Virk after the Akali-BJP government had already come to power, contained suggestions like "activating S S Mann, creating parallel BSP in the state, how to divide votes along caste lines, earmarking of candidates expeditiously, key contacts with Dera head, etc". The note is also said to refer to "young MLAs like Sukhpal Khaira, Jassy (Jaspal) Khangura, Pabby (Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu)" who are "active and have money", thereby the need to win them over.
Virk had a few days back said veracity of the note was doubtful. "There can't be two disciplinary authorities in my case as I was repatriated to Maharashtra in April 2007," he said.
 
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