Manjit Singh v. State Of Punjab And Others

2024:PHHC:036848 THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No.4453 of 2024 Date of Decision: 14.03.2024 Manjit Singh ..... Petitioner

Versus

State of Punjab and others ..... Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH BHARDWAJ ***

Present:

Mr. D. V. Sharma, Senior Advocate with Ms. Shivani Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Navneet Singh, Sr. DAG, Punjab.

Mr. Raj Kumar Garg, Advocate for respondent No.6.

*** RAJESH BHARDWAJ, J. (ORAL) Present writ petition has been filed for directing respondents No.1 to 3 to hold an enquiry in the misappropriation of the Government grant and Panchayat funds by Smt. Jatinder Kaur Pannu, Sarpanch, Gram Panchayat, Khokhar Faujian, Tehsil Batala, District Gurdaspur in the execution of development works during the period December, 2018 to July 2022 in view of complaint made by the petitioner attached as Annexure P-2 and subsequent letters dated 31.10.2023 (Annexure P-3), dated 20.12.2023 (Annexure P-4) and dated 15.01.2024 (Annexure P-5) issued by respondent No.3 directing the Block Development & Panchayats Officer, Batala, respondent No.4 to produce the record of the Gram Panchayat, Khokhar Faujian for holding the enquiry into the complaint but no record has so far been produced for RITTU 2024.03.14 15:53 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

CWP No.4453 of 2024 -2- 2024:PHHC:036848 reasons best known to respondent No.4, Block Development & Panchayats Officer, Batala. Further prayer has been made for directing the Competent Authority to initiate surcharge proceedings under Section 216 of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 against Smt. Jatinder Kaur, Sarpanch, Gram Panchayat, Khokhar Faujian in order to recover the embezzled amount.

In pursuance to the order passed by this Court on 27.02.2024, Mr. Raja Singh, BDPO i.e. respondent No.4 is present in person in Court today. He has submitted before this Court that the requisite record has already been submitted before the Joint Director, Department of Rural Development & Panchayats, Punjab i.e. respondent No.3 on 05.03.2024, before whom the inquiry is pending. In view of the above, it is apparent that grievance of the petitioner as raised in the present petition for submitting the record has already been redressed as the record is produced before the Competent Authority.

Thus, the present petition is disposed of. However respondent No.3 i.e. Joint Director, Department of Rural Development & Panchayats, Punjab is directed to proceed with the inquiry, which is already with him to you and conclude the same in accordance with law expeditiously preferably within a period of two months from the date of receipt of copy of this order.

14.03.2024 (RAJESH BHARDWAJ) rittu JUDGE Whether speaking/reasoned :

Yes/No Whether reportable :

Yes/No RITTU 2024.03.14 15:53 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document