10 January,2009 10:43 AM IST | | PTI
The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it would seek a copy of the letter written by Ministry of Home Affairs, which allegedly said that Punjab government had the power to prosecute IPS officer SS Virk, now a director general in Maharashtra police.
Newspaper reports on Thursday said that Punjab government had filed chargesheet against Virk for 'politicking and misuse of official position' when he was serving as DGP of Punjab police.
Virk, currently the senior most officer in Maharashtra, is a Maharashtra cadre officer. But he was deputed to Punjab police in 1984, to be sent back only in April 2007.
Virk's status has assumed importance in the row over appointment of Anami Roy as Maharashtra DGP last February. S Chakravarti, another IPS officer, has challenged Roy's appointment, saying that Roy superseded senior officers, including Virk.
But state's reason for not considering Virk for DGP's post is that he was facing criminal cases in Punjab.
On Friday, during hearing in Roy's case, Advocate General Ravi Kadam said that he would seek copy of the letter, reportedly written by MHA, from Union government.
Kadam said that if newspaper report was correct, then the letter would have a bearing on the present case.
CAT stays departmental inquiry against Virk
In a relief to the former Director General of Police, Punjab, SS Virk, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Friday stayed the departmental inquiry initiated against Virk by the Punjab government.
The stay was granted after Virk's lawyer Sandip Marne filed an application that the Punjab government cannot conduct the inquiry as the Supreme Court had directed for the investigation papers to be sent to the Central government, which would conduct the inquiry.
"The Supreme Court had on May 16, 2008 held that only the Central government is the disciplinary authority to conduct an inquiry against Virk and directed the Punjab government to send all the documents to the central government," Marne said.
However, even after the SC directive, the Punjab government continued the inquiry, Marne added.
"The CAT stayed the departmental inquiry accepting the application filed by Virk," Marne said.
