The Punjab government on Wednesday suspended Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Varinder Brar a day after four police officials of the district were arrested for allegedly accepting ₹1 lakh as bribe from the family of a minor boy whose phone was confiscated for reportedly accessing banned porn websites.
The action follows an investigation by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) in the case involving officials from the cyber crime police station in Fazilka. “The boy had allegedly accessed a pornographic website on his phone, which was detected by the Fazilka cyber cell. The phone was subsequently confiscated. When the family requested the cops to return the phone, a bribe of ₹1 lakh was allegedly demanded by the cyber cell team,” said a senior vigilance bureau official, seeking anonymity.
“The boy’s family claimed they had informed SSP Varinder Brar, but no action was taken. The cyber cell continued to press for the bribe,” added VB sources. The police had seized the phone after receiving a complaint via Cyber Tipline, a non-government organisation. Despite repeated efforts by the family to resolve the matter legally, they were allegedly coerced into paying the bribe.
Meanwhile, the boy’s father, Dharminder Singh, submitted bribery evidence to chief minister Bhagwant Mann through the state’s anti-corruption helpline. This led to the arrest of the four police officials, including the cyber cell SHO. Among those arrested were two constables and a reader.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the boy’s father, Dharminder Singh, submitted bribery evidence to chief minister Bhagwant Mann through the state’s anti-corruption helpline. This led to the arrest of the four police officials, including the cyber cell SHO. Among those arrested were two constables and a reader.
{{/usCountry}}A government spokesperson announced the SSP’s suspension, stating that the decision was based on findings from an internal investigation into the bribery allegations. When contacted, SSP Brar denied the allegations. He claimed he had been engaged in a high court matter for the past three days and that neither the boy nor his family brought the issue to his attention.
According to a senior Punjab Police functionary, the state government was also upset with the SSP for “mishandling” the FIR registered against local Akali Dal leader Noni Mann and his brother related to recently concluded panchayat polls. The Akali leader had reportedly got bail in the case because of some lapses in the investigation, the official said.
The government has now posted PPS officer Gurmit Singh replacing Brar. Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, addressing the media on Tuesday, confirmed the arrests and reiterated the AAP government’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption. “Be it a minister, MLA or officer, anyone involved in corruption will face action,” he said.
Cheema also praised the swift response by the Vigilance Bureau. “This case reflects our strong commitment to a corruption-free Punjab. The government stands with the common citizen and will ensure strict accountability,” he added.
Recently, the state government suspended three senior police officers, including chief vigilance director and ADGP SPS Parmar over corruption and irregularities in the bureau. However, the suspension of two PPS officers was revoked. Parmar’s suspension is continuing.