The Delhi High Court has suspended the remaining sentence of a former Deputy Inspector General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who was awarded 18 months of imprisonment after he was found guilty of committing certain irregularities while in service.
A Bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Navin Chawla said former DIG Upendra Prakash Balodi had already undergone 13 months of imprisonment out of the 18 months.
“This court directs suspension of the sentence till further orders,” the Bench said while also seeking response of the Centre and the SSB to Balodi’s plea.
Balodi was accused of having committed irregularities in purchase of horse feed and liquor, when posted as a DIG at Srinagar. The General Force Court of the SSB then awarded him the punishment of dismissal from service and 18 months of rigorous imprisonment.
This order was later modified to the extent that the ‘punishment of dismissal from service’ was commuted to ‘compulsory retirement from service’ and the punishment of imprisonment for 18 months remained unchanged.
Balodi challenged the order holding him guilty, and also sought directions to the authorities to reinstate him in service with all consequential benefits including and not limited to promotions from February 1, 2020. Balodi said he was appointed as an assistant commandant in the SSB in 1987 and was eventually promoted as DIG in 2011.
