Srinagar: A division bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ordered status quo on a top CRPF officer’s demotion, three weeks after its single bench upheld an order by Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, demoting Shamsher Singh Sandhu from the rank of Inspector General to Deputy Inspector General of the paramilitary force on grounds of fitness.
Hearing an appeal by the officer, a division bench of Justices Hasnain Massodi and Tashi Rabstan ordered the status quo after his counsel, senior advocate R A Jan informed the bench that Sandhu continues to hold the post of IGP CRPF.
On Feb 15 last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an order (G-II-4/13-PERS-DA-1), divesting Sandhu of his charge as IG (operation) Kashmir for not having mandatory ‘SHAPE1’ medical category.
Subsequently, on March 7 last, another order (T-IX-2/2013-PERS-DA-1) was passed by the Ministry, transferring him at the Office of Special DG, J&K Zone CRPF Jammu.
However, Sandhu filed a petition in Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking quashing of the Ministry orders. On January 29 last, a single bench of the court dismissed the petition by Sandhu as without any merit.

Reader correspondent