Punjab and Haryana High Court relief for widower suspended over SIR duty exemption

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has overturned the suspension of a Hisar teacher who sought to exempt himself from Special Intensive Revision (SIR) election duty after his wife's death. The court ruled that the teacher had been unfairly blamed for the authorities' failure to provide suitable replacements. Justice Harpreet Singh Brar noted that the petitioner had lost his wife, leaving him to care for his elderly mother and children.

He applied for exemption from election duty, but the state authorities instead appointed three substitute BLOs, none of whom reported for duty or completed the necessary updates. The court criticized the authorities' handling of the case, imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on two officials for their improper management.