Chandigarh SI, aide held guilty in 2012 graft case

The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has found a Chandigarh Police sub-inspector and his civilian aide guilty of demanding and accepting ₹25,000 bribe in 2012. The quantum will be pronounced on Wednesday.

The convicts are sub-inspector Kulwaranjit Singh Cheema and Subhash Chand Dhiman of New Indira Colony, Manimajra.

On September 24, 2012,the CBI had registered an FIR for criminal conspiracy (Section 120B of the IPC) against the accused on the complaint of a Sector 28 resident, Manpreet Singh, who alleged that they were demanding ₹30,000 bribe from him for either registering a case against his brother Harbans Singh under lighter sections or to hush up the matter relating to a quarrel with his neighbour Bishan Dass.

He alleged that Cheema asked him to contact Dhiman regarding payment of the bribe.

Following the complaint, a trap was laid. On the night of September 24, 2012, Dhiman called Singh near the police station chowk in Manimajra. Manpreet, his brother and a police official (shadow witness) reached the chowk. Dhiman entered the car and accepted ₹25,000 from them. The shadow witness gave a call to the CBI and team turned up at the spot and arrested Dhiman with the bribe money.

The shadow witness told CBI about the discussion that took place inside the car, as per which Dhiman tried connecting the SI but he was disconnecting the calls. As per their conversation, initially 50,000 bribe was demanded, which was later reduced to 30,000 and finally ₹25000 was paid.

What did probe find

The CBI investigation revealed that Cheema was the emergency officer on September 22-23, 2012. He attended an emergency call regarding an accident at Shastri Nagar Lightpoint, near Kishangarh Chowk, and visited the accident spot and the hospital, where the injured were admitted.

After recording statements of Bishan Dass, the SI detained Harbans Singh on the pretext of attacking the former. But, he neither arrested him nor registered an FIR. The CBI examined the phone calls which showed that Cheema and Dhiman were in constant touch with the complainant, proving criminal conspiracy.

The recent taints on khaki :-

January 2019: Sub-inspector Rajbir Singh, who was arrested for taking bribe from a meat shop employee and a few others after threatening them of implication in a theft case, was suspended after the case came to light.

January 28, 2019: The CBI arrested the Mauli Jagran SHO, inspector Baljeet Singh, and a constable, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹45,000.

June 11, 2019: The CBI  arrested a Chandigarh Police head constable, Dalbir Singh, for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹2,000 from a proclaimed offender (PO) in a cheque bounce case for not arresting him.

June 18, 2019: The CBI arrested an ASI, Bhupinder Singh, the driver of an assistant transport officer (ATO) of Punjab, for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹20,000 from a truck cleaner.

September 11, 2019: Chandigarh Police dismissed a home guard and initiated probe against two traffic cops for allegedly seeking ₹500 bribe from a traffic violator near the Hallomajra lightpoint.