The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge-sheet against 10 cops, including the anti-drug special task force’s (STF) assistant inspector general (AIG) Amritsar, Rachhpal Singh in an alleged false implication in a drug case that was registered in 2017.
The charge-sheet was submitted in the court of Harinder Sidhu, special judge, CBI, in Mohali on Thursday, said sources. HT also has a copy of the order pertaining to the receiving of the charge-sheet in the court.
The other cops who are named in the charge-sheet are inspector Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa, sub-inspectors (SI) Prabhjit Singh, Balwinder Singh, Surjit Singh, assistant sub-inspectors (ASI) Kulwinder Singh, Kulvir Singh, Beant Singh, Kulwant Singh and head constable Hira Singh.
The case dates back to August 4, 2017, when Balwinder Singh, alias Kukku of Tarn Taran district, was allegedly intercepted by an STF team while he was travelling in a car and during the search of the vehicle, one kg of heroin was recovered. On the “disclosure statement” of Balwinder, the STF had allegedly apprehended two more persons and recovered 4.5 km of heroin and some arms and ammunition smuggled from Pakistan.
Balwinder, however, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that the case against him was fake. On the direction of the court, a probe was conducted by Punjab director general of police (DGP) Parmod Kumar, who was the director of the Bureau of Investigation. As per the probe report, it was “evident that Balwinder was apprehended by the police officials in civil clothes from Civil Hospital, Patti, on August 3, 2017, and was taken to his village, where a search of his house was conducted by the police.”
{{/usCountry}}Balwinder, however, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that the case against him was fake. On the direction of the court, a probe was conducted by Punjab director general of police (DGP) Parmod Kumar, who was the director of the Bureau of Investigation. As per the probe report, it was “evident that Balwinder was apprehended by the police officials in civil clothes from Civil Hospital, Patti, on August 3, 2017, and was taken to his village, where a search of his house was conducted by the police.”
{{/usCountry}}The report also stated that “as per the statements of witnesses, nothing incriminating” was found in the house.
The call records and closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage collected during the probe were found to be against the STF team.
On January 12, 2020, the high court transferred the case to the CBI. The court had also ordered the CBI to register a case against the erring officers as per the report of the DGP.
AIG Rachhpal, who was promoted last year, didn’t respond to repeated calls and a text message.
Inspector Sukhwinder Randhawa said he has not yet received a copy of the charge-sheet. “We will talk to the media once we get the facts clear,” he added.