Summary:
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday issued notice to the Haryana chief secretary on a plea filed by Haryana Civil Services ( HCS ) officer Sandeep Singh against his suspension. The minister had raised question on the absence of the Kanina SDM from meeting in Narnaul, the headquarters of Mahendergarh district. He said his suspension is also the outcome of defamation case filed by him against the minister.The case will now come up for hearing on October 11.On October 1, the Haryana government had placed Singh under suspension for dereliction of duty and ignoring the directions of his superiors. His application for leave was never rejected and till today, he has not been informed that his leave application has not been sanctioned.The officer also submitted before the court that Goel got him suspended by using his influence as a minister and because his father is a former minister belonging to opposition party. His suspension came within days of his recording a statement in the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate in a criminal defamation complaint moved by him against the Haryana commerce and industries minister.Goel had allegedly made some remarks against Singh’s father and former minister Bahadur Singh, as the officer was found to be absent during the meeting of district grievances committee on September 20..