Nonsense, say three Punjab judges about Sidhu crony’s claims

The daughters of two sitting judges of the high court figure among the appointments made by the PPSC during Sidhu’s tenure and are, in fact, toppers in their respective batches.

Their fathers today expressed their outrage to The Indian Express that their children’s merit was being questioned. Both appointments are among the ones that are being reviewed by the state government.

Sapna Singhal, daughter of Justice M L Singhal, topped the batch of Dental Demonstrators recommended for appointments by the PPSC on January 10, 2002.

Amol Gill, daughter of Justice Amarbir Singh Gill, topped the batch of the Punjab Civil Services (judicial branch) that was recommended for appointments by the PPSC on April 26, 2001.

In his confession made under Section 164 of the CrPC, Sidhu’s associate Jagman Singh had alleged that Sidhu once sent him with a question paper to a house in Sector 24.

‘‘In one house out of the house of Justice Anand and Justice Singhal — I do not exactly remember whether it was house of Justice Anand or Justice Singhal as I went there in the night. It was (in the) last six months of 2001 and out of these two houses, I met with an elderly Hindu gentleman who brought me inside to enable me to make the girl understand the question paper, again said to hand over the paper to the girl personally.

The question paper handed over to the girl in that house in Sector 24 was taken back the next day very early in the morning.’’

However, Justice R L Anand, told The Indian Express that he had only one daughter, Reena, who had been married in 1990-1991. ‘‘She has a BA Pass qualification and has not sat for any examination conducted by the PPSC ever. She does not have the requisite qualifications to sit in the examinations for the PCS Judicial or PCS Executive. She is married to a small businessman and is living in Amritsar with two children. I challenge that Jagman be produced before me, and if he recognises that I was the one whom he delivered examination papers to, I will resign immediately. I have nothing to do with this scam. I do not know how my name has got involved in this.’’

Justice Singhal confirmed that his daughter, Sapna, had topped the Dental Demonstrator category but denied that he knew any one by the name of Jagman or that he had come to his house. ‘‘All this is sheer nonsense and humbug,’’ he said.

About his daughter, he said, ‘‘She is a very brilliant girl and she has not got the job on a sifarish. She is presently on leave and is preparing for her MDS examination.’’ Asked if he knew Sidhu, Justice Singhal said, ‘‘I did not know Sidhu much. I knew him in his capacity as PPSC chairman. But we were not on visiting terms.’’

Justice Gill’s name has cropped up in a confession made by Ludhiana-based Markfed Fertiliser supply officer Randhir Singh Gill alias Dheera before senior police officers. He told The Indian Express he would be ‘‘the last person to indulge in these things. No sifarish was made. It has become a presumption to say that appointments made by the PPSC were either on sifarish or on the basis of money. No examination paper was delivered at my home. My daughter did top the PCS (Judicial) but only on merit.’’