Abhinav Kumar, born 12 January 1984 in Ferozepur, entered Punjab’s health department in 2009 and has since posted in ten districts, ranging from Ludhiana to Tarn Taran.
On Oct. 1, the office of IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar ordered Kumar’s suspension after he had taken action against adulterated milk dairies, sweet shops and food carts in Ferozepur.
Kumar told NDTV that his 26 disciplinary actions—suspensions and transfers—are the price of refusing to bow to political pressure, branding him the ‘Singham’ of the food sector.
The suspension sparked a street protest that saw hundreds of farmers and union members burn effigies of CM Bhagwant Mann and the IAS officer, demanding an explanation from the state.
The state government has announced a cabinet meeting for tomorrow, where the CM is expected to address the controversy and justify the disciplinary move.
Meanwhile, trade associations have called for a transparent review of the officer’s record, warning that the incident could erode public trust in food safety enforcement.