The Centre has accorded sanction to prosecution of Punjab-cadre retired IAS officer and former Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua in a 16-year-old corruption case.Additional Solicitor-General Satya Pal Jain, appearing for the Union of India before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, furnished the order during the hearing of a petition alleging contempt of court.A 1989-batch officer, Janjua was posted as Director-cum-Secretary, Industry and Commerce Department, Punjab, when the Vigilance Bureau laid a trap on November 9, 2009, and allegedly recovered Rs 2 lakh from him.The Punjab Government forwarded a proposal for granting prosecution sanction vide letter dated September 5, 2025, in the case registered by the Vigilance Bureau. The sanction was finally accorded in the matter by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training on February 11.The order refers to the complaint lodged by one Tulsi Ram Mishra against Janjua alleging that he had written a letter to the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation for allotment of vacant land adjoining his plot. But his request was rejected on the ground of non-availability. He, along with another person, went to Janjua’s house, where he allegedly demanded Rs 6 lakh for the work to be done. The FIR was registered on the basis of his complaint.Mishra moved the high court in 2016, challenging the order dated January 8, 2015, whereby the Special Judge, Mohali, discharged Janjua in the criminal case. Taking up the matter, Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal, on September 15, 2023, directed Punjab to forward to the Central Government all documents pertaining to consideration for grant of sanction to prosecute Janjua.“Curiously, the criminal proceedings appear to have had no effect on the respondent, who rose to the positions of Financial Commissioner, Revenue, and Chief Secretary of the state, which is the highest post in the state bureaucracy,” Justice Grewal had asserted, while hearing Mishra’s plea.Justice Grewal had observed the allegations were rather serious as he allegedly demanded Rs 6 lakh for allotting the vacant plot adjacent to the petitioner’s broiler factory. The Vigilance Bureau laid a trap on November 9, 2009, and alleged recovered Rs 2 lakh from him.The state government accorded sanction, but it was seemingly conscious that the competent authority was the Central government. It then addressed a communication to the Cente on May 6, 2014, to consider the issue of grant of sanction, but it was later withdrawn on March 26, 2018. The petition was filed challenging the order, whereby the Special Judge discharged the respondent.After hearing arguments and going through the documents, Justice Grewal then directed the State Chief Secretary to forward the papers within a month to the Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training. The competent authority in the Centre was directed to consider the issue and take a final decision in accordance with law within three months, extendable by another month. Mishra then filed the contempt plea during the hearing of which the order was placed before the Bench of Justice Alka Sarin.