📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bollywood Hungama
Crime
Punjab HC upholds lifelong 10% pension cut for three retired cops in Soorwal lynching case
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 01:36 AM
👁 9
The Punjab High Court has confirmed a permanent 10% reduction in pension for three retired police officers linked to the 2011 Soorwal mob lynching, rejecting their plea for reversal.
The Punjab High Court on Thursday upheld a court‑ordered lifelong reduction of 10% in the pension of three retired police officers who were implicated in the 2011 mob lynching at Soorwal, a village in Moga district. The judges ruled that the disciplinary action, originally imposed by the state government, remains justified given the officers' alleged involvement in the brutal killing of a farmer.
The retired officers had filed a petition seeking restoration of their full pension, arguing that the penalty was excessive and that they had already served their sentences. The High Court, however, found no merit in their claims, noting that the disciplinary measure was separate from any criminal conviction and was intended to serve as a deterrent against abuse of power.
Legal experts said the verdict underscores the judiciary's willingness to enforce accountability within law‑enforcement agencies, especially in cases that have sparked public outrage. The decision also reaffirms the state government's authority to impose financial penalties on officials found culpable in human‑rights violations.
The three officers, who retired after the incident, will continue to receive a pension reduced by 10% for the remainder of their lives, as per the court's order.
The retired officers had filed a petition seeking restoration of their full pension, arguing that the penalty was excessive and that they had already served their sentences. The High Court, however, found no merit in their claims, noting that the disciplinary measure was separate from any criminal conviction and was intended to serve as a deterrent against abuse of power.
Legal experts said the verdict underscores the judiciary's willingness to enforce accountability within law‑enforcement agencies, especially in cases that have sparked public outrage. The decision also reaffirms the state government's authority to impose financial penalties on officials found culpable in human‑rights violations.
The three officers, who retired after the incident, will continue to receive a pension reduced by 10% for the remainder of their lives, as per the court's order.