Heads roll in Chandigarh police dept day after shooting in Sector 25

DSP gets notice for lack of supervision, departmental inquiry marked against SHO, police post in-charge put under suspension

A day after a criminal out on bail opened fire at a garments trader in Sector 25, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal issued a show-cause notice to DSP (central) Krishan Kumar for “lack of supervision”, while marking a departmental inquiry against Sector-11 station house officer Rajiv Kumar and putting Sector-24 police post in-charge sub-inspector Shiv Charan under suspension.

Victim Sandeep, who is also a former president of the resident welfare association in Sector 25, has in fact alleged that sub-inspector Shiv Charan was behind the attack. “He was pressuring me to turn hostile in a case, but I had refused,” he claimed.

“After the firing last night, I had asked the SP (City) Vineet Kumar to probe into the incident as well as the allegations. Based on the report, action has been taken against the three cops,” said the SSP.

The main accused in the case has been identified as Vijay Kumar, who faces several criminal cases, including attempt to murder.

Sources said the action has been taken against the cops as they failed to keep tabs on a criminal recently released on bail and freely moving in the area with a weapon. “They failed to check or gather information about the criminal moving around in their jurisdiction. Despite recent incidents of firings, no corrective measures were taken to avoid such a law and order situation,” said a senior police official, privy to the development.

The incident occurred when Chandigarh Police are struggling to make a breakthrough in three back-to-back firings reported in the past 10 days, which left one man dead and triggered a gang war.

Even UT administrator VP Singh Badnore had recently pulled up the police department for the deteriorating law and order. Following this, the SSP had warned all personnel, and had said that SHOs will be held accountable for any laxity under their jurisdiction.

Victim accuse police post in-charge

Sandeep was rushed to the PGIMER with two bullet injuries on Monday night , after two assailants walked into his garments shop and fired at him repeatedly. One bullet hit his shoulder and the other brushed past his head. Police recovered three shells from the spot.

Police had claimed the firing was the result of an old rivalry between Sandeep and Vijay, who was identified on the basis of CCTV footage.

However, Sandeep has alleged that he was attacked at the behest of the Sector-24 police post in-charge. The cop refuted the allegations.

According to police, Sandeep was involved in illegal liquor trade, and had been earlier named in cases of gambling and rioting as well.

“The allegations have been made against me as I curbed illegal activities, such as gambling and illicit liquor trade, in the area,” said SI Shiv Charan.

Accused is a history-sheeter out on bail

Accused Vijay Kumar was arrested in October last year, after he fired at a Sector-38 man. The two were gambling in Sector 25, when an argument erupted between them, leading to the shooting.

At present, he was out on bail in this attempt to murder case. He is also facing a number of cases of gambling, liquor smuggling, rioting and assault at various police stations.

Meanwhile, in the present case, he along with an accomplice has been booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides the Arms Act at the police station in Sector 11. Sources said the accomplice has been identified, and raids are on to arrest them.