ASI, two constables booked for letting off drug accused for money

Three Punjab Police personnel, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and two constables, have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for letting of a man

Three Punjab Police personnel, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and two constables, have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for letting of a man by not naming him in a case of drug smuggling in May this year. The three cops and Crime Investigation Agency (CIA)-I in-charge inspector Amritpal Singh Bhati had been suspended on Tuesday for allegedly falsely implicating a man in a drug case. Bhati has not been booked.

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The booked officers ASI Ravneet Singh, alias Ravi and constables Kulwinder Singh and Gurpal Singh, all posted at CIA - I, are accused of not registering a case against Ranjit Singh of Peori village in Muktsar district under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, said Bathinda SSP Nanak Singh.

The case relates to the arrest of Baltej Singh of Phullo Mehar Singh Wali in Dabwali in Haryana with 55gm of heroin by a team that ASI Ravi had led on May 1 this year near Rama. Police had raided the house of Ranjit Singh after this arrest, but did not add his name to the case.

The allegations of cops having taken money from Ranjit came to light when Kuldeep Singh of Jangi Rana village, in a complaint to IGP MF Farooqui, alleged that he had been falsely implicated under the NDPS Act on July 8 with cops blaming him for exposing that Ranjit had been let off for money.

“I was called to the CIA-I police station and booked in the case, where Ranjit and Supreme Singh were already present, having been arrested with heroin,” Kuldeep had alleged.

SP (bureau of investigation) Gurbinder Singh Sangha, who was entrusted an inquiry into the matter, had submitted a report on Thursday evening. The SSP added that the allegations of Kuldeep having been framed in the NDPS Act were under investigation.