Face2News/Chandigarh 

The Haryana Govt has placed two IAS officers under suspension. The officers, identified as 2011-batch IAS officer Pradeep Kumar-I and 2012-batch IAS officer Ram Kumar Singh, were suspended on April 8.

Commenting on the development, Advocate Hemant Kumar, a Punjab and Haryana High Court lawyer and expert in service and administrative matters, highlighted the legal framework governing such actions under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

He pointed out that Pradeep Kumar is due to retire on June 30, 2026—barely two and a half months away—while Ram Kumar Singh is scheduled to retire on November 30, 2027.

Advocate Hemant explained that whenever an IAS, IPS, or IFoS officer is suspended by a state government, or is deemed suspended due to being in custody for more than 48 hours in connection with a criminal case or otherwise, the state government is required to inform the Central Government within 48 hours. Additionally, a copy of the suspension order along with reasons must be sent to the cadre-controlling authority—such as the Ministry of Personnel for IAS officers—within the same time frame. 

Importantly, he emphasized that a suspension order issued by a state government remains valid only for 30 days. Beyond this period, approval from the Central Government becomes mandatory for its continuation.

“In general, suspension in corruption-related cases can continue up to a maximum of two years, while in other cases it is typically limited to one year. However, under exceptional circumstances, the duration may be extended further,” he added.