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Chandigarh Police invoke anti-terror law in Punjab audio tape leak case
Chandigarh Police book dismissed cop, suspended inspector under UAPA a month after their purported discussion with then Punjab DGP on national security issues surfaces
The Chandigarh Police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against dismissed Punjab cop Sarabjit Singh — a proclaimed offender (PO) in the multicrore Bhola drug racket — and suspended inspector Satwant Singh, a month after an audio tape leak wherein the duo was heard discussing national security issues, allegedly with the then Punjab director general of police (DGP), Sidharth Chattopadhyaya, just a week ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s January 5 visit to the state.
In what could spell trouble for the former Punjab DGP, the FIR registered a week back has been forwarded to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) through the UT home secretary, confirmed a senior Chandigarh Police official. However, formal notification regarding the case takeover by India’s primary counter-terror agency is yet to be issued.
Both Sarabjit and Satwant, who is a former crime investigation agency (CIA) in-charge, Kharar, were earlier arrested by the Chandigarh Police in relation to an FIR registered on January 11 after a few promotion letters issued in Punjab Police were found to have used Chattopadhyaya’s forged signatures just ahead of his replacement as the DGP last month.
What Chandigarh Police say
The senior UT police official cited above said the fresh case under the UAPA was registered on the basis of the audio tapes that were reported by a section of the media and created ripples in the Punjab Police circles last month. It is learnt the purported conversation took place on December 27 during a meeting between Sarabjit Singh, Satwant Singh and the then Punjab DGP at the latter’s house in Nayagaon.
The Chandigarh Police also pointed to the registration of an FIR under the UAPA in the audio tape case while objecting to Satwant Singh’s bail plea in the forged signatures case in a UT court on February 24.
“The accused is very sharp minded. They hatched a conspiracy in getting promotion without following the service rules. If the accused is released on bail, he may hamper the investigation. He may influence the prime witnesses in the present case. It is pertinent to mention here one more FIR regarding unlawful activity (UAPA) against the above mentioned accused person has already been registered, which is very sensitive in nature and pending investigation,” the UT police had stated in its written reply to court, a copy of which is with HT.
According to the reply, one Sandeep Kumar, who according to the Chandigarh Police is the mastermind of the forged signatures case, was found to have recorded “unlawful activity” (purportedly the audio tapes) in his mobile phone and it has been sent to the forensic lab on January 28 to retrieve the data.
What audio tapes reveal
The leaked audio tapes not only reveal how the PO was giving instructions to the DGP for certain appointments in the name of cracking whip on drug cartels, but also how the state’s top cop was allegedly taking instructions on the issue of national security from a dismissed inspector, who is facing several FIRs related to the NDPS Act.
The conversation wherein Sarabjit is allegedly suggesting posting inspector Satwant Singh as the Kharar CIA in-charge is also part of the audio tapes. Satwant was handed the post through the DGP’s orders dated December 28, a day after the purported conversation.
In the conversation, the PO is also heard giving instructions to the DGP to carry out operations related to national security while mentioning a few Khalistani terrorists. In one such sentence, the dismissed cop is even heard referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while allegedly asking the DGP to bring some DSP-rank officer on certain postings and start recovering explosives being pushed from Pakistan.
