Reinstated but not paid salary arrears, says Punjab IGP Umranangal; Comply with order, HC tells government

Umranangal, who was suspended in February 2019 after being named as an accused in cases related to the Bargari sacrilege incident in Faridkot, filed the contempt plea against non-compliance with the high court order through which his suspension was revoked in February this year.

Though the Punjab government reinstated Umranangal last week, he submitted that his salary for the period of suspension has not been paid so far.

During the hearing, the counsel for Umranangal, advocate Sangram Singh Saron contended that despite the suspension order being quashed by the division bench of the high court, as upheld by the Supreme Court, the respondents have not paid the salary for the period of suspension so far. Therefore, there is not a complete compliance of the order.

Justice Sehrawat said that considering the facts of the case, the orders passed by the division bench and the Supreme Court, there is nothing left to be clarified by the respondents qua which learned counsel for the respondents would seek any further time for getting instructions.

“It has to be plain and simple compliance of the order in its letter and spirit, restoring all benefits to the petitioner of which he was deprived on account of suspension…Since the respondents have not complied with the order so far, therefore, prima facie, they are in contempt,” the high court held.

Meanwhile, the state counsel submitted that they had already initiated the process of payment of arrears of salary to the petitioner and prayed for adjournment.

The high court made it clear that in case the order is not complied with by the next date of hearing, then the respondents shall remain personally present before the court to receive further orders in the contempt proceedings. It was clarified that no further adjournment would be granted and the matter was adjourned for August 8.