14 years later, Panchkula court acquits ex-UT police inspector, three others in Fake IPS officer case

The case stemmed from an FIR registered at Chandimandir police station on August 31, 2012, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and impersonation, besides offences under the Arms Act

Fourteen years after the sensational fake IPS officer case that had exposed an alleged job racket, an additional sessions court in Panchkula has acquitted four accused, including former Chandigarh Police inspector Tarsem Singh Rana, after setting aside their 2018 conviction. The other acquitted accused are Naresh Kumar and Ravinder Kumar, both residents of Bhiwani, and Swaran Singh of Mohali. The court allowed their appeals against the judgment dated January 23, 2018, passed by the then additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Panchkula.

The court noted that the prosecution’s case was weakened as several key witnesses turned hostile. (File)

The case stemmed from an FIR registered at Chandimandir police station on August 31, 2012, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and impersonation, besides offences under the Arms Act.

According to the prosecution, police had received a tip-off that Kumar Aman, alias Aman Kumar, then residing in Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula, was posing as an IPS officer.

A team of the Panchkula CIA staff intercepted the accused’s Innova at Ramgarh Chowk and found Aman dressed as an IPS officer, Swaran Singh driving the vehicle with a revolver tucked into his belt, Ravinder Kumar in a home guard uniform with a dummy AK-47 rifle, and Naresh Kumar seated in the rear. A revolver with five live cartridges, a dummy pistol with six cartridges, three forged identity cards, police uniforms, a red beacon and a flag were recovered, following which an FIR was registered.

The trial court had convicted Naresh, Ravinder and Swaran under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, while Tarsem Singh Rana was convicted under Sections 119 (public servant concealing design to commit offence), 420 and 120-B of the IPC.

Allowing the appeals, the court noted that the prosecution’s case was weakened as several key witnesses turned hostile. Complainant Avtar admitted during cross-examination that none of the alleged gunmen had cheated him or taken any money. The court held that there was no material to prove that Ravinder Kumar, Naresh Kumar and Swaran Singh had acted in criminal conspiracy with the main accused, Aman Kumar, or had cheated the public by impersonation.

It further observed that the prosecution failed to lead clear and cogent evidence linking former police inspector Tarsem Singh Rana with the alleged conspiracy.