President Droupadi Murmu Grants Sanction to Prosecute Former Punjab Chief Secretary in 2009 Corruption Case
In a significant development, President Droupadi Murmu has officially sanctioned the prosecution of former Punjab chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, a retired IAS officer of the 1989 batch, in a long-pending corruption case dating back to 2009. This decision marks a crucial step in a legal battle that has spanned over a decade.
DoPT Order Details and High Court Proceedings
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued a seven-page order on February 11, which was subsequently presented before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday. Satya Pal Jain, the Additional Solicitor General of India, submitted the order on behalf of the Central government during a hearing related to a contempt of court petition filed by a Ludhiana-based industrialist.
The DoPT order explicitly states: "The competent authority...considers that sufficient evidence has been brought on records to establish a prima-facie case for granting sanction for prosecution under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018 against Vijay Kumar Janjua, retired IAS, the then director-cum-secretary, industry and commerce department, Punjab."
Background of the Corruption Allegations
The case originates from 2009 when Vijay Kumar Janjua, who was serving as the director-cum-secretary of the industry and commerce department in Punjab, was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from an individual named Mishra. Following this incident, he was formally booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Initially, the Punjab governor granted sanction for prosecution in 2010. However, in a twist, a trial court discharged Janjua in 2015, ruling that the central government, rather than the state, held the competent authority to accord such sanction. This jurisdictional dispute left the issue in limbo for years.
Recent Developments and Legal Timeline
The matter gained renewed momentum when, on September 15, 2023, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the state government to forward all relevant documents concerning the prosecution sanction to the Central government within a specified timeframe. Complying with this order, the Punjab government submitted a proposal for granting sanction on September 5, 2025, after the state vigilance bureau confirmed that offences were substantiated against Janjua.
Notably, the Chief Minister of Punjab also endorsed this proposal, sending it for approval to the competent authority. The President's recent sanction effectively resolves the long-standing jurisdictional ambiguity and paves the way for legal proceedings to move forward.
This case underscores the complexities of anti-corruption mechanisms in India, highlighting the interplay between state and central authorities in prosecuting public officials. The sanction from the highest office signals a firm stance against corruption, potentially setting a precedent for similar cases involving senior bureaucrats.
