IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP-23334-2024 Date of decision: 28.01.2026 RAJ KUMAR ...Petitioner(s)

VERSUS STATE OF PUNJAB AND OTHERS ...Respondent(s)

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASGURPREET SINGH PURI Present:- Mr. Ravi Malhotra, Advocate for Ms. Gurpreet Kaur, Advocate for the petitioner.

Ms. Shruti, AAG, Punjab.

Mr. Manbir Singh, Advocate for respondent No.5.

Mr. D. V. Sharma, Senior Advocate with Ms. Shivani Sharma, Advocate for respondent No.6.

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JASGURPREET SINGH PURI, J. (Oral)

1. The present Civil Writ Petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India seeking issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari for quashing the order dated 27.01.2023 (Annexure P-4) passed in favour of respondent No.6, with a further prayer to direct respondent No.4 to take legal action for embezzlement of crores of rupees of public funds and also to uphold the suspension order passed by the Inquiry Committee vide Annexure P-3 and direct respondent No.5 to re-elect the new Chairman.

2. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that two basic prayers have been made in the present petition. The first prayer challenges the order dated 27.01.2023 (Annexure P-4), vide which the Additional Registrar (D), Cooperative Societies, Punjab had set aside the order of suspension and reinstated respondent No.6 and the second prayer seeks a mandamus directing respondent No.4 to take legal action against respondent No.6 for embezzlement of crores of rupees of public funds.

3. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that so far as the first prayer is concerned, the same has become redundant as the Committee has already completed its tenure and a new Committee has been constituted and so far as the second prayer is concerned, in pursuance of the order dated 14.10.2024 passed by this Court, respective affidavits have been filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, Range Jalandhar as well as the Additional Registrar (Credit), Cooperative Societies, Punjab. He submitted that in the affidavit dated 24.02.2025 filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Bureau, Range Jalandhar, it has been stated that no action was required to be taken by the Vigilance Bureau on the complaint made by the petitioner, whereas in the affidavit dated 31.12.2025 filed by the Additional Registrar (Credit), Cooperative Societies, Punjab, it has been stated in para No.7 that an inquiry was marked and is still pending. He further submitted that a time bound direction may be issued in this regard to the aforesaid limited extent only that the inquiry which is pending, as per the aforesaid affidavit filed by the Additional Registrar (Credit), Cooperative Societies, Punjab, may be decided within a specified time frame.

4. Ms. Shruti, AAG, Punjab submitted on instructions that the aforesaid inquiry is pending and the respondent-State has no objection in case any time frame work is fixed by this Court.

5. Learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of respondent No.6 submitted that no such time bound direction can be issued with regard to the aforesaid inquiry because as per the order dated 27.01.2023 (Annexure P-4), it has been so observed by the Additional Registrar (D), Cooperative Societies, Punjab that it was not a case of embezzlement.

6. After hearing the learned counsels for the parties, this Court is of the considered view that the only issue involved in the present case is with regard to the second prayer because the first prayer has already become redundant. In case any inquiry is pending before any authority under the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Punjab, as per the aforesaid affidavit filed by the Additional Registrar (Credit), Cooperative Societies, Punjab, the same shall be completed within a period of three months from today. It is further directed that the petitioner and respondent No.6 shall file their respective affidavits before the Inquiry Officer and shal