CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court's order to impose fines on the Director General of Police and senior civil administration officials is a matter of serious concern for the people of Punjab, with a population of over 30 million. Paramjit Singh Kainth, Punjab Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Scheduled Caste Morcha, expressed concern, saying that this indicates that the law is not being followed in Punjab.
Political leaders are being appeased, and the Bhagwant Mann government is using the police and civil administration for its political gain. Hearing the contempt petition, Justice Sudipti Sharma said that the officials have "continuously and deliberately disobeyed" the court's orders. The court directed that a fine of ₹2 lakh be recovered equally from the salaries of DGP Gaurav Yadav, Transport Department Secretary Pradeep Kumar (IAS); State Transport Commissioner Manish Kumar (IAS); and Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal (IAS). This amount will be deposited in the Punjab Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The court also noted that this penalty is in addition to the ₹1 lakh fine previously imposed on these same officials for non-compliance with the rules.
BJP leader Paramjit Singh Kainth said it was extremely sad that senior officials were showing indifference to the court's directives. He questioned what role they would play in providing justice to the people of Punjab. Despite being given multiple opportunities by the High Court, the officials failed to submit a satisfactory compliance report regarding the removal of illegally modified vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The court further stated that this conduct reflected negligence and evasiveness towards judicial directives. Senior Punjab BJP leader Paramjit Kainth said that the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, must ensure that all officials act in accordance with the law and comply with court orders. He further stated that officials should be held accountable and action should be taken against those who disobey court orders.