CHANDIGARH: Punjab government on Monday appointed Tarun Vir Singh Lehal, the son-in-law of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, as additional advocate general. As an additional AG, Lehal would represent the Punjab government as law officer in the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Lehal has been appointed by the advocate general by invoking the proviso to Section 7
(4) of the Punjab Law Officers (Engagement) Act 2017 which provides for appointment of law officers in the state on the recommendations of a selection committee. It also means that advocate general A P S Deol has exercised his special powers to appoint Randhawa’s son-in-law as additional AG. Apart from Lehal, AG has also appointed advocate Mukesh Chander Berry as AAG..
The proviso to this section, however, gives discretionary powers to AG, according to which, “the AG may, with the approval of the government, engage up to seven advocates, who, in his opinion possess such special qualifications and experience as he deems suitable, as law officers.”
Job to Lehal seen as move to appease Randhawa
The appointment of Lehal in the AG office is also seen as appeasement of deputy CM Randhawa by the AG A P S Deol, who has recently accused Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu of “obstructing the functioning of AG office and spreading misinformation “to gain political advantage”.
Sidhu has been openly objecting to Deol’s appointment as AG and demanded his removal.On September 27, the Punjab government had notified Deol’s appointment as Punjab AG. He replaced senior advocate Atul Nanda who had tendered his resignation from AG’s post following the resignation of Captain Amarinder Singh from the post of Punjab CM.
In June, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was among the five cabinet ministers who had a showdown with CM Capt Amarinder Singh in the cabinet meeting over the issue of giving government jobs to the sons of party MLAs.
Randhawa, who also heads the home department, did not respond to repeated calls and messages sent by TOI on his mobile about his stand on his son-in-law's appointment as additional advocate general.
Lehal was quoted by an agency as saying that the appointment has been made on the basis of merit and experience on the recommendation of the state's advocate general.
