Punjab DIG Prisons Jakhar resigns in supports of the famers agitation

Source:-https://www.newindianexpress.com

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Lakhminder Singh Jakhar had sent his resignation to the Punjab Government in support of farmers protesting against three farm laws but the government is yet to accept it.

56-year-old Jakhar who had joined the Punjab Prisons Department as Deputy Superintendent Jail on November 11, 1994 will now be joining the farmers’ protest after resigning from his duty just yesterday.

He gave his resignation to the Principal Secretary (Prisons) Punjab with a copy to the Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) but the government is yet to accept it.

He has offered to deposit three months salary of notice period and other arrears as well, so that he can be relieved at the earliest.

He was suspended on May 8 this year for allegedly taking bribe during his visit to sub jail at Patti but had been reinstated on October 7 pending departmental inquiry and presently posted as DIG (Headquarter) at the Punjab prisons department head office here and was set to retire in August, 2022.

Before the joining the state prisons department, he had served in the army for five years between 1989 to 1994.

Jakhar who has twenty five acres of land at Kilianwali village in Abohar said, “I am a farmer first and a police officer later. I am a son of the famer and whatever position in society I have today is due to the fact that my father worked in his fields facing many hardships.” He recalled how his father educated him at the PPS Nabha and mentioned how difficult it was for a farmer to have paid that fees.

“I owe everything to farming and that is why I have tendered my resignation.”

On being asked about his recent suspension, and reinstatement, he said, “those were false allegations on him and it has been proved in the inquiry.’’

Additional DGP (Jails) P K Sinha has confirmed that Jakhar submitted his resignation.

Earlier, Jakhar had sprung into the limelight in 2012 when he refused to execute the death warrants of Balwant Singh Rajoana a co-convict in assassination of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

The district court of Chandigarh had then postponed the execution to March 31. But on March 28, the President of India had stayed Rajoana’s hanging on the mercy petition of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court then dropped the contempt of court charges against him for not executing death warrants. “At that time also I acted as per law,’’ said Jakhar.