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Graft-tainted woman cop surrenders in Chandigarh court
Suspended Manimajra SHO becomes first Chandigarh woman cop to be arrested by CBI for graft
Finally, after being on the run for 25 days, suspended Chandigarh Police inspector Jaswinder Kaur, who is an accused in a ₹5 lakh graft case, surrendered before court on Saturday and was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for four-day custodial interrogation.
With this development, Jaswinder has become the first woman personnel of Chandigarh Police arrested by the CBI for graft.
“In order to unearth the larger conspiracy entered into between accused Jaswinder Kaur, Bhagwan Singh (conduit) and other accused, her police remand is required,” said Sushil Kumar Garg, special judge, CBI court, Chandigarh.
Earlier, pressing for her remand, CBI public prosecutor KP Singh said: “Subsequent conduct of Jaswinder is highly deplorable and against the spirit of the rule of law as she is a member of police force to the rank of inspector.”
Meanwhile, court allowed the application moved by her defence counsel Terminder Singh to meet her daily during her remand. Jaswinder had raised apprehension that CBI officials may “misbehave” with her. Court allowed one of her counsels to meet her daily for an hour from 5pm to 6pm as her family members did not want to meet her in custody. The court also ordered that her Covid-19 test be conducted.
SHE HAS A LOT TO ANSWER
Jaswinder Kaur, who was then the station house officer in Manimajra, was booked by the CBI on May 30 following the arrest of conduit Bhagwan Singh.
The CBI had on July 29 arrested Bhagwan while accepting ₹1 lakh as illegal gratification, allegedly on Jaswinder’s behalf from complainant Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Manimajra. Jaswinder was accused of demanding ₹5 lakh bribe from Gurdeep in lieu of not registering a cheating case against him.
Jaswinder is also accused of making fake daily diary register (DDR) entry, and thus creating false evidence, to show she had joined investigations following the CBI raids on July 29.
Jaswinder had been maintaining that the money recovered by the CBI was part of a “compromise” reached between Gurdeep and one Randhir Singh on June 21. Randhir had accused Gurdeep of fraud, alleging that he had taken ₹28 lakh from him in lieu of getting his wife recruited as an excise and taxation officer.
Jaswinder maintained that as part of the compromise, Gurdeep was to refund ₹30 lakh to Randhir. The document was signed by Gurdeep, Randhir, and Bhagwan besides one Narpinder Singh, following which a DDR entry was also made about the compromise, she claimed.
However, CBI investigations have pointed out that on Jaswinder’s instructions, Gurdeep’s signatures were taken on a blank paper. It was later that “samjhauta/compromise” was written on it and the paper was signed by Randhir and others. The investigating officials have already recorded the relevant statement of constable Sarabjeet Singh, who is posted at the Manimajra police station. Now, Jaswinder will be confronted with the police station’s CCTV footage of June 21 that corroborates Sarabjeet’s statement, said an official.
HIGH DRAMA IN COURT
As Jaswinder Kaur walked into court to surrender, a section of lawyers raised objection. The lawyers said in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic when not even mushis and lawyers’ clerks are allowed entry into the premises, then how come Jaswinder managed to enter without permission.
Meanwhile, claiming innocence, Jaswinder Kaur said: “I have been implicated falsely at behest of a lobby, as I am from backward caste. Despite being an inspector, I am facing atrocities.”
THE CASE SO FAR
June 26: In a handwritten complaint, Manimajra resident Gurdeep Singh accuses SHO Jaswinder Kaur of demanding bribe on June 10, in lieu of not registering a cheating case against him. He claims he already paid ₹2 lakh to conduit Bhagwan Singh on June 19
June 29: CBI raids Manimajra police station and Jaswinder’s house, after arresting Bhagwan with ₹1 lakh of the bribe money
June 30: Jaswinder booked for seeking ₹5 lakh bribe and suspended, after which she keeps evading arrest
July 10: CBI special court denies Jaswinder’s anticipatory bail plea
July 21: Punjab and Haryana high court also dismisses her anticipatory bail application
July 25: Jaswinder surrenders before court and sent to four-day remand
