Punjab Governor puts CM Bhagwant Mann on mat over shunting of top cop from Chandigarh

Chandigarh:  Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit has in a hard-hitting reply to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann informed him that the SSP of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Kuldip Chahal had been shunted out for serious “misconduct.”

The IPS officer has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, Punjab and Chief Minister Mann had tried to make it into a Punjab vs Haryana issue as a Haryana officer was given temporary charge of the post.

Rubbishing the Punjab versus Haryana issue raised by Mann, the Governor wrote, “you raised…unnecessarily the issue of Punjab vs Haryana in this connection which is not applicable in this case of ad hoc appointment for a very short period i.e. for a week or two.”

Mann had claimed that the UT did not seek a panel of IPS officers for appointment as SSP, violating the tradition of posting a Punjab cadre officer as the SSP of Chandigarh. Manisha Choudhary, a Haryana cadre IPS officer was given ad hoc charge of SSP after Chahal was removed from the post on Monday afternoon.

The Governor’s letter states: “I ascertained the authenticity (about Chahal’s misconduct inputs) from reliable sources, after which I communicated telephonically with the Chief Secretary, Punjab on November 28, 2022, my decision to remove Chahal, SSP UT from a critical post, At the same time I advised him (CS Janjua) to send a panel of efficient IPS officers for the SSP’s post,”

Further, the UT DGP Parveer Ranjan met Punjab CS on November 30, 2022, at 4.30 pm and narrated the details of the case (against Chahal), and requested a panel of Punjab cadre IPS officers. The Advisor (to the UT Administrator) also spoke to Punjab CS on the same issue, Purohit summarised.

The Governor has pointed out that Mann’s letter demonstrates “due care has not been taken” to ascertain the facts before writing the letter.

According to sources, the UT Advisor has ordered an inquiry into the (mis)conduct of Chahal after further legal action will be taken against him.

Interestingly, it was during Chahal’s tenure as SSP, Mohali that a controversial FIR was registered against gangster Mukhtar Ansari who was brought from Uttar Pradesh and kept in Ropar for over two years. All types of luxuries were provided to the gangster which is the subject matter of another probe initiated on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.