Punjab govt revokes suspension of ADGP Parmar, SSP Varinder Singh Brar

The Punjab Government on Wednesday revoked the suspension orders of additional director general of police (ADGP) SPS Parmar and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Varinder Singh Brar and reinstated them with immediate effect.

The state home department issued separate orders to this effect.

On April 25, the Aam Aadmi Party government had placed Parmar, a 1997-batch IPS officer, under suspension in connection with the investigation into driving licence irregularities while he was posted as head of the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau. The irregularities involved manipulation of automated driving test systems, where old video footage was allegedly reused to falsely certify new applicants. Despite having access to evidence, the VB, led by Parmar, was accused of delaying action and failing to escalate the probe. His suspension was seen as a response to alleged lapses in the investigation.

Two Punjab Police Service (PPS) officers, Swarandeep Singh, an assistant inspector general at the Vigilance Bureau in SAS Nagar, and Harpreet Singh, a senior superintendent of police, VB, Jalandhar, were also suspended along with ADGP Parmar. However, both of them were reinstated on May 18 and posted on the same posts in the VB.

In police circles, the exercise was termed as not only the reinstatement of the service but also the “reinstatement of the pride” of the officers as senior officers were convinced that the suspensions had been done in haste. In the reinstatement orders, the government counted the suspension time of the PPS officers in their service tenure.

A senior police official said that Parmar’s reinstatement was delayed because being an Indian Police Service officer, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the home ministry had to be informed about the Punjab government’s move to revoke the suspension.

Then Fazilka SSP Varinder Singh Brar was placed under suspension on May 28 after four police officials of the district were arrested for allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh as bribe from the family of a minor boy whose phone was confiscated for reportedly accessing banned porn websites. Brar was held responsible for not taking timely action as the supervisory officer. However, a subsequent inquiry cleared him of the charges and his suspension was revoked.

He has been directed to report to the office of the Punjab director general of police (DGP).