‘Dereliction of duty’: Punjab SSP, SP indicted for release of accused in drug case
SP in dock too: Had filed cancellation report in a case in Ferozepur earlier this year.
A special investigation team (SIT) has indicted senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Garg and SP Dharamvir for “dereliction of duty” and “turning blind eye to the facts” to facilitate release of an accused in a drug-related case when they were posted in Ferozepur nine months ago.
Inspector general of police MS Chhina has now sought comments on the report from range DIG Rajinder Singh too move towards departmental action, it is learnt.
The case dates back to January 4 when accused Raj Kumar was arrested allegedly with a consignment of intoxicant tablets and injections from Sadiq Chowk near Ferozepur under section 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act.
Two months on, SP Dharamvir drafted the cancellation report that was signed by SSP Garg and submitted in the Ferozepur district court that led to Raj Kumar’s release on March 17.
ASI put foot down
However, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Amrik Singh, the case investigation officer, had put his foot down and refused to sign the cancellation report. He later met the IGP, who formed the SIT headed by DIG (Ferozepur range) Rajinder Singh. Garg and Dharamvir were last month found to have wrongly filed the cancellation report.
DIG Rajinder, when contacted, said he would submit his final comments and a thorough report to the IGP “as early as possible”. “I received the IGP’s instructions only last week,” he added.
What about DSP?
IGP Chinna had, in a similar case exposed by HT, still awaits the reply of DSP Gurjit Singh Romana for his alleged misconduct of drafting a fake cancellation report to bail out a drug accused in Goniana near Bathinda.
The IG had initiated a probe against Bathinda SSP Navin Singla and DSP Romana, but DIG Ashish Chaudhry had indicted the DSP and given the clean chit to SSP Singla in that inquiry.
“His (the DSP’s) reply is still awaited,” is all the IGP said about the fate of this case.
