Alleging that he has been "harassed" and served with a chargesheet on "frivolous" grounds, Punjab's Commandant General, Home Guards, Kultaran Singh Ghumman has sought premature retirement from service.
Ghumman, who has two years of service left, has been serving as the Commandant General, Home Guards and the Director, Civil Defence, Punjab at Chandigarh since October 2017.
In a letter to chief minister Amarinder Singh dated August 9, while giving a notice for premature retirement, the officer mentioned that of late, he has been "harassed, ignored, abused and served with a chargesheet on frivolous grounds without following procedures".
"It came down to a point that I could not take it anymore. I came from the BSF on deputation in 1989. I have fought terrorism in Punjab. This is my lateral shift to Home Guards. I am a decorated officer and this is what I get," he said on being contacted.
The officer mentioned in the letter to the chief minister that he had very meaningful and professionally satisfactory tenures during his combatised and non-combatised career spanning over 35 years.
"Every officer, donning the uniform, aspires to head the force one belongs to and has grown up with. I consider myself very fortunate to have received your blessings in the shape of my elevation as Commandant General in 2017 under your able stewardship as the home minister of the state. I owe it to your benevolence and largesse, to have appreciated my dedication and hard work of 35 years," he wrote.
However, he mentioned in his letter that the last few years have made him ponder over whether his elevation as Commandant General was actually worth it?
Ghumman mentioned that he had to move the high court to uphold his status and rank after he was made the "Commandant General without Command".
"I was made Commandant General without Command. I sought relief from every quarter. When denied, I was forced to approach the Hon'ble High Court, which upheld my status and rank but the (state) Home Department had different plans all the while," he wrote in the letter.
"Of late, I have been harassed, ignored, abused and served with a chargesheet on frivolous grounds without following procedures. My constitutional right to privacy has been blatantly violated by seeking my offshore travel history from immigration authorities on unspecified grounds, as if I am a threat to national security.
"And all this for what? Because I was begging for my legitimate right to lead my department as Commandant General," he wrote.
Ghumman said he has now realised the core strength of bureaucracy, adding, "It is either their way or the highway," he said.
"I have dedicated 35 years of my life wearing uniform for the country. With your blessings, I could achieve the highest rank available in the department. Now, before I lose my sanity, having been put to severe mental agony, I would like to bow out and hang my uniform for good," he wrote in the letter, giving three months of mandatory notice seeking premature retirement with effect from August 9.
When contacted, Ghumman said his offshore travel history from immigration authorities was sought on unspecified grounds.
He said despite duly applying for leave, which was sanctioned, for a visit abroad, he was targeted and was told that he had not applied for ex-India permission.
"On this, they served a chargesheet, for which too no inquiry, no show-cause notice was given nor my reply sought. While I had duly taken leave, even if they talk about ex-India permission, the maximum they should have done was to give a warning. It is not a criminal offence if I went abroad taking leave, but not ex-India leave," he said.
Ghumman said he was a heart patient and could not take this "persistent harassment" anymore, though he did not name anyone.
He said his concern is why his offshore travel history has been sought as if he is a criminal.
"Tomorrow, if I have to visit any country, that country may not give me visa. Who knows after a few years, what record may be shown in that offshore history," he said.
