SC orders fresh probe into PPSC appointments

The Supreme Court today directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to examine afresh cases of over 3,000 appointments made during the tenure of controversial Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) chairman Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu.

Setting aside May 2003 order of the HC quashing the appointments made between 1997 and 2002, a bench of Justice S B Sinha and Justice Dalveer Bhandari asked the HC to set up two committees to examine afresh the appointments of Judicial and executive officers separately.

The order came after the affected officers filed petitions in the court.

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Sindhu was appointed PPSC chairman in 1995 when Har Charan Singh Brar of the Congress was the Chief Minister. However, the tide turned against him after Amarinder Singh assumed office.

His arrest on March 25, 2002 at his Chandigarh home for allegedly accepting Rs 5 lakh bribe led sleuths to go for a probe into the misconduct of exams and later appointments.