Chandigarh: Haryana’s home department has been left grappling with a corruption trail involving 612 cases across police, home guards, prosecution and prisons, with several of them languishing in departmental or criminal proceedings for years, even as the govt cites suspensions, dismissals, rank reductions and other punitive action.The figures were placed before the Haryana vidhan sabha by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in reply to an unstarred question by deputy leader of opposition and Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed, seeking details of officials involved in corruption cases from Jan 2015 to June 2026, action taken against them and whether any continued at the same posting after action.According to the reply tabled Tuesday, police department accounts for 574 entries, the highest. Home guards and civil defence make up for 13 entries, while the prosecution department has one case and the prisons department lists 24 entries.The data also exposes the problem of prolonged disciplinary action. In one striking case, IPS officer Dheeraj Kumar was suspended in Dec 2021 and his departmental inquiry was completed in Nov 2023, but the final govt decision was still awaited. The disciplinary process had already taken one year and 11 months.The Nuh list contains several cases stretching over multiple years. In one case, departmental proceedings against SI Ashok Kumar were filed only in May 2024, more than six years after the FIR was registered in Nov 2017. The criminal case had ended in acquittal in Nov 2021.The prison records provide another uncomfortable dimension. At least five officials shown as dismissed were subsequently reinstated during appeals, including warders Shiv Charan, Sudesh Kumari, Sanjay Kumar, Gaje Singh and Rajan. In some cases, dismissal was converted into lesser punishment such as stoppage of increments.There are also cases involving alleged corruption inside prisons. The govt records allegations of bribes for supplying narcotics or prohibited articles, demands for money from prisoners and even alleged provision of mobile phones inside jails in exchange for bribes.One prosecution case is particularly telling: former Hisar District Attorney Mahender Pal was allegedly caught red-handed accepting Rs 2,500 in May 2022. Despite suspension and a charge sheet, the govt appointed an inquiry officer only on August 11, 2026; the departmental inquiry remains ongoing and the criminal case is pending.CORRUPTION TRAIL IN HOME DEPTWing | CasesPolice | 574Home Guards & Civil Defence | 13Prosecution | 1Prisons | 24TOTAL | 612Red FlagsPolice cases dominate the listSeveral departmental inquiries remain pending for yearsSome criminal cases are still under trialPrison officials dismissed from service were later reinstated during appealsOne IPS disciplinary inquiry completed in 2023 was still awaiting final govt decision
