The Sangrur police on Saturday suspended an assistant sub inspector (ASI) and transferred 11 cops for allegedly going soft on drug peddlers in an area that was declared a drug hotspot.
All the cops were posted at Jail Police Post, located in Sunam grain market.
A departmental inquiry has also been marked against the ASI, identified as Balkar Singh. He was in-charge of the police post.
Out of the transferred cops, one is a sub-inspector while the others are senior constables or constables.
It suspected that the ASI was leaking information about the police’s search and other operations to drug peddlers living in Indra Basti of Sunam, which had been declared a drug hotspot.
“The ASI had friendly relations with drug peddlers of the area and he was in constant touch with them. It cannot be ruled out that he was not sharing information about the police operation with them,” said a police officer.
Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said, “We are regularly monitoring drug hotspots of the district. We had carried out several raids in these areas. The performance of all these cops was not up-to-the mark. They never shared information pertaining to the hotspot with us and were going soft on drug peddlers in the area. ASI Balkar Singh was in regular touch with the suspicious persons of the area. Therefore, we have suspended him and initiated a departmental inquiry.”
{{/usCountry}}Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said, “We are regularly monitoring drug hotspots of the district. We had carried out several raids in these areas. The performance of all these cops was not up-to-the mark. They never shared information pertaining to the hotspot with us and were going soft on drug peddlers in the area. ASI Balkar Singh was in regular touch with the suspicious persons of the area. Therefore, we have suspended him and initiated a departmental inquiry.”
{{/usCountry}}Later, the police cordoned off Indra Basti and seized intoxicating substances, 20 vehicles and drug money to the tune of ₹3 lakh. Three FIRs under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and three under Excise Act were also registered.