₹20-lakh bribery case: VB gets one-day custody of suspended SI

A Faridkot court on Friday granted Punjab Vigilance Bureau one-day custody of suspended sub-inspector (SI) Khem Chand Prashar in ₹20-lakh bribery case linked to a probe of the 2019 murder case

A Faridkot court on Friday granted Punjab Vigilance Bureau one-day custody of suspended sub-inspector (SI) Khem Chand Prashar in ₹20-lakh bribery case linked to a probe of the 2019 murder case.

A Faridkot court on Friday granted Punjab Vigilance Bureau one-day custody of suspended sub-inspector (SI) Khem Chand Prashar in ₹20-lakh bribery case linked to a probe of the 2019 murder case.

Prashar was arrested after he surrendered at the office of the senior superintendent of police (VB), Ferozepur range, on Thursday. The move comes a day after another accused in the bribery case, Malkiat Dass, who expressed willingness to turn an approver in return for being pardoned, surrendered in a Faridokt court.

Faridkot chief judicial magistrate Lavdeep Hundal said that the allegations against the accused are well-founded, and there are chances that custodial interrogation of the accused will facilitate the investigation. “The police zimnies (dairy) have been seen and signed. The accused is remanded to police custody till August 26,” he added.

In June, then Faridkot SP Gagnesh Kumar, then Faridkot DSP Sushil Kumar, SI Khem Chand Prashar, who was posted as in-charge of RTI branch of Faridkot IG office, Jaswinder Singh of Faridkot city and Malkiat Dass of Bir Sikhan Wala village in Faridkot were booked for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹20 lakh to renominate the “prime accused” in the murder case of Dayal Das, deputy head of Harka Das Dera at Kot Sukhia village in Faridkot district. He was shot dead by two shooters on November 7, 2019.

The case was registered on the complaint of Gagan Dass, who is officiating as in-charge of the dera since the death of former head Hari Das in May 2020. The case was handed over to VB.