KARAMJIT SINGH BHULLAR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present petition has been filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus directing the State of Punjab through its Secretary, Department of Home Affairs, Chandigarh (respondent No.1) to get investigation of the Canteen Purchase Scam regarding purchase of daily needs goods for the prisoners of twenty-eight Central Jails of Punjab conducted from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) or some high level Special Investigation Team (SIT).

(2.) According to the petitioner, the jail authorities with the connivance of high profile officials have been running this racket in the purchase of daily needs for the Jail canteens in Punjab since long and have been purchasing unhygienic goods at higher prices from unapproved stores in grave violation of the Punjab Government Canteen Management Rules, 1965 ('the Canteen Rules' - for short), the Punjab Financial Rules ('the Financial Rules' - for short) and the instructions issued by the Government of Punjab from time to time; besides, without inviting any quotation or tenders. It is submitted that in the last three years purchases have been made of about Rs.100.00 crores in violation of the mandatory Canteen Rules.

(3.) The learned counsel for the petitioner states that the petitioner wants to expose before this Court a big 'Canteen Purchase Scam' going on all over the Central Jails of Punjab in purchasing unhygienic daily needs and canteen goods for the prisoners at very high rates from an unapproved store i.e. 'Metro Store', without calling any tender, E-tender, quotation and without comparison of the prices with other whole sellers in deliberate violations of the relevant provisions and the Canteen Rules as also in violation of the latest directions dtd. 13/3/2015 issued by the Punjab Government.