Punjab: The Punjab-Haryana High Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict over the plea challenging the appointment of Suresh Kumar as the Chief Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. A 1983-batch IAS officer, Kumar was handpicked by Amarinder Singh after coming to power in 2017. Kumar had retired in 2016 from the post of Additional Chief Secretary. His posting was challenged in Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2017 by a Mohali resident Ramandeep Singh. The petitioner had claimed that Kumar's appointment was against the constitutional scheme and accepted norms.
In January 2018, a single bench of the High Court had set aside the appointment of Kumar. He later offered to resign after the court served a notice to the Centre and Punjab governments on his appointment, however, Kumar, continued working after the order was stayed by a single bench of the HC when the current case was still pending in the court.
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Kumar is considered to be the most trusted officer of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and has served in many positions in the state as well as at the Centre on deputation. He has also served as principal secretary to the chief minister during Singh's previous tenure between 2002-2007.
