# Punjab Police Constable vs State of Punjab and Another

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1996-0014](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1996-0014)

## Report card

By judgment dated 29 January 1996 in Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 903 of 1996, the Supreme Court of India (Coram: K. Ramaswamy, G. B. Pattanaik, JJ.) upheld the disciplinary action taken against the Constable, Punjab Police.

- Register number: PB 00 CW 0006
- Case reference: Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 903 of 1996 / (1996) 7 SCC 748; AIR 1996 SC 3159
- Court and date: Supreme Court of India (Coram: K. Ramaswamy, G. B. Pattanaik, JJ.), 29 January 1996
- Officer(s) at the material time: Constable, Punjab Police
- Present service status: Recorded in the cited sources as removed from service.
- Provisions invoked: Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 324 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; Section 12 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958; Rule 16.2(2) of the Punjab Police Rules
- Finding of the Court (extract): “In that view, the petitioner being a member of the disciplined police force, the authorities were justified in rejecting his reinstatement. However, we convert the penalty of dismissal into one of removal from service.” (at para 4)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Disciplinary action upheld. Sentence: dismissal.
- Present status of the proceedings: No further proceedings are recorded in the cited sources; the judgment is the concluded position shown.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/683334/karam-singh-vs-state-of-punjab-and-another/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1996-0014)

**Record:** CW-1996-0014 (compiler id CWC-1093); case GAP3-127-001
**Title:** Punjab Police Constable vs State of Punjab and Another
**Court:** Supreme Court of India; judges: K. Ramaswamy; G. B. Pattanaik
**Case number / citation:** Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 903 of 1996 / (1996) 7 SCC 748; AIR 1996 SC 3159
**Judgment:** 1996-01-29 (1996, day precision)
**Incident date:** Not stated
**Place:** Punjab; force: state_police
**Category:** Other misconduct
**Sub-category:** other
**Outcome:** Disciplinary action upheld (disciplinary_upheld)
**Sections:** IPC 302 read with IPC 34; IPC 323; IPC 324; Probation of Offenders Act 1958 s.12; Punjab Police Rules Rule 16.2(2)
**Officers (gated display forms):** Constable, Punjab Police (1 in record)
**Victims:** Not stated (2 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** dismissal
**Sentence type:** dismissal (dismissal)

The Supreme Court on 29 January 1996 dismissed constable 's plea for reinstatement into the Punjab Police after his criminal conviction. The Court recorded that he was charged with others under Sections 302/34, 323 and 324 IPC for an assault causing one death and one injury; the High Court set aside the murder and hurt convictions but maintained the Section 323 IPC conviction and released him on probation. The Court held that release on probation under Section 12 of the Probation of Offenders Act does not wipe out the conviction, and that as a member of a disciplined force he was expected to prevent crime rather than participate in it. It found the authorities justified in refusing reinstatement under Rule 16.2(2) of the Punjab Police Rules, converting the penalty of dismissal into removal from service. Matters not addressed in the cited judgment text are not recorded here.

> In that view, the petitioner being a member of the disciplined police force, the authorities were justified in rejecting his reinstatement. However, we convert the penalty of dismissal into one of removal from service.

**Sources (2):** [courtkutchehry.com](https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/683334/karam-singh-vs-state-of-punjab-and-another/); [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1447604/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** misconduct
**admin subcategory:** other
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Material fact supported', 'position_explainer': 'Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** 4
**display title redacted:** Punjab Police Constable vs State of Punjab and Another
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-19', 'scope': 'Round-8 full re-verification: published record re-checked against the judgment text (outcome, officers, quote, key facts) plus methodology-compliance pass', 'method': 'skills-guided adversarial re-verification of the published record against the judgment text (reverify/t1-*/adversarial-8.jsonl)', 'result': 'holds', 'corrections_applied': \[\]}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '1996-01-29', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'Supreme Court of India', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The Supreme Court of India upheld service punishment imposed on police personnel.', 'disposition': 'Disciplinary action · Procedural only', 'source': '(1996) 7 SCC 748; AIR 1996 SC 3159', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-19
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://www.courtkutchehry.com/judgements/683334/karam-singh-vs-state-of-punjab-and-another/', 'link_checked': None}; {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1447604/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** other
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** SC upheld refusal to reinstate convicted constable; dismissal converted to removal.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Disciplinary action upheld.

[Open CW-1996-0014](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-1996-0014)