Constitutional Adviser to Bikaner continues ...

Another interesting episode took place during my stay at Bikaner. The Home Minister while on tour dismissed two or three sub-inspectors of police on the spot and transferred some others without the Inspector General of Police knowing anything about it.

When the I. G. was apprised of this, he came with a letter of resignation to me and said that he could not stay any longer in State service with self-respect when the Minister was ignoring him and bypassing usual procedure. I told him not to resign. I spoke to His Highness who called the Home Minister and gave him a talking to.

The Home Minister came to me and I explained to him what the correct procedure was. Eventually the orders of dismissal were set aside and the I. G. of Police was asked to look into these cases.

Chief Justice Harries of the Calcutta High Court—once my Chief at Lahore—worte to me on the 2nd of April 1948:

“Personally I do not think you will be long in Bikaner, as I feel sure that you will be asked to sit in the Supreme Court. I saw Munshi the other day and I told him that you should be the first choice and he told me that he agreed with me. I had heard that Assam wanted you as Chief Justice but I am not surprised that you declined the offer. T

The court of three judges including the Chief Justice is not, I think, a fit place for a man of your standing. Further the court will sit at Gauhti. It is a nasty little mofussil town though within motorable distance of Shillong.”

On the 16th April 1948, Chief Justice Kania made the following enquiry from me:

“I should like to know if you have mode any definite arrangements with the Bikaner State and if any arrangement is made it is up to what time.

To be continued...