Police-drug mafia nexus: CM Mann dismisses former Moga SSP, orders VB probe
Former Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh Hundal has been dismissed from service and is facing a vigilance bureau probe into assets allegedly amassed by him by selling narcotics. Hundal is the second Punjab Police Service (PPS) official to be dismissed from service on drug charges in recent years. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dismissed Hundal after acting on three special investigation team reports on the police-drug mafia nexus. The final findings of the three SIT reports were sent by the Punjab and Haryana high court to the state government for action on March 28.
Chandigarh
Acting on the three special investigation team (SIT) reports on the police-drug mafia nexus recently opened by the Punjab and Haryana high court, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday dismissed former Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh Hundal from service besides ordering a vigilance bureau (VB) probe into assets allegedly amassed by him by selling narcotics.
Raj Jit is the second Punjab Police Service (PPS) official to be dismissed from service on drug charges in recent years. In 2018, a DSP-rank official, Daljit Singh Dhillon, was sacked in a similar case. He was later reinstated.
The CM has also ordered to book Raj Jit in a drug case. It is not immediately clear if a separate case under the NDPS Act will be registered against the dismissed cop or he will be nominated in a case related to recovery of drugs from dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh.
“We won’t spare anyone involved in drugs. After opening the sealed cover reports, Raj Jit was booked and has been dismissed from service. The vigilance bureau has been asked to probe the wealth he amassed by selling ‘chitta (heroin)’. More details very soon,” the CM tweeted.
As reported by Hindustan Times, though Raj Jit Singh was not directly indicted in the probe conducted by the SIT to ascertain his complicity with dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh, who was caught by the special task force against drugs with 6kg of heroin, it had suggested “definite scope for further inquiry” into his properties.
Section 311 invoked for dismissal
It is learnt that to dismiss Raj Jit, the state government has invoked Section 311 of the Constitution on ‘dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a state’. The clause b of the Section empowers the state to dismiss its civil servant without conducting a probe. “Where the authority empowered to dismiss or remove a person or to reduce him in rank is satisfied that for some reason, to be recorded by that authority in writing, it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry,” the clause says.
By dismissing Raj Jit, who was serving as assistant inspector general (NRIs), the CM has tried to give a strong message about stern action against those involved in drug cases.
The final findings of the three SIT reports were sent by the Punjab and Haryana high court to the state government for action on March 28.
In 2017 and 2018, Raj Jit had requested the high court twice that the SIT report regarding him should be opened without delay.
SIT took over case in 2017
On December 15, 2017, the SIT took over the case with then special DGP, human rights, S Chattopadhyaya and director, Bureau of Investigation, Punjab, and then IG, ATS intelligence, Kunwar Vijay Partap as its members.
Initially, then STF chief Harpreet Sidhu was probing the case. The SIT was formed when Raj Jit moved the Punjab and Haryana high court alleging Sidhu’s bias against him.
The mandate of the probe to the SIT, formed on the directions of high court on December 15, 2017, was “to investigate allegations of complicity of SSP Raj Jit Singh Hundal in respect of his alleged association with dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh emanating out of an FIR dated June 12, 2017, at the special task force (STF) police station, Mohali. The FIR pertains to recovery of 6kg of heroin from Inderjit.
Pointers to Raj Jit’s complicity
The SIT report did not mention any direct link between Raj Jit and Inderjit in the drug case. However, it said a few significant points have emerged that indicate towards Raj Jit’s complicity.
“When Raj Jit was posted as the Tarn Taran SSP in 2013, on his specific request Inderjit was posted as inspector in Tarn Taran. Inderjit was posted an ORP (own rank and pay) and Raj Jit said his services were immediately required in the border district. There were more than 40 officials senior than Inderjit in the district at that time,” the report mentions.
The SIT pointed out that Inderjit was posted as inspector, CIA, Tarn Taran, despite having an ORP rank. He was recommended for double promotion from head constable to ASI.
“For these promotions, Raj Jit certified that no case of criminal case or departmental probe is pending against Inderjit though cases were pending against him,” said the report.
The SIT said after being transferred as Hoshiarpur SSP, Raj Jit wrote a demi-official letter on August 7, 2014, to the IGP, stating that he is a hardworking official.
However, the conclusion of the final SIT report claims that there are officers who got Inderjit posted under them from time to time and similar complicity of Inderjit with these officers can be a subject matter of a separate inquiry.
“Even Raj Jit has said in his statement and representation that Inderjit worked with him only for 14 months and there are many officers before and after who got him posted with them,” the report said.
Aide Inderjit faced 14 inquiries
The SIT obtained the service record of Inderjit and found 14 departmental inquiries against him since 1993.
“He has been censured five times and one year of approved service has also been forfeited. Inderjit was let off in most of the departmental inquiries barring one in which his one-year service was forfeited. The fact that Inderjit was able to get himself out of trouble in all these inquiries despite charges of serious nature suggest he wields influence in the state police,” the SIT said.
The SIT found that Inderjit rose through the ranks from constable to inspector in a short span and was getting plum postings as SHO/CIA in-charge in districts since 1993, which suggests he was enjoying patronage of senior officers and wielded influence.
The SIT found Raj Jit’s assets had grown since 2013 when he was posted as the Tarn Taran SSP. Citing the assets acquired by Raj Jit, the SIT emphasised on the mobilisation of funds for these acquisitions.
Increase in assets since 2013
“It needs to be proved whether any such funds could be linked up with the ill-gotten money extorted by Inderjit from accused nominated in criminal cases under the NDPS Act registered by him in Tarn Taran,” said the SIT.
The SIT has taken property details of Raj Jit from the annual property returns filed by the police officer with the Punjab DGP office.
“An analysis of these property returns revealed that there has been an upswing in immovable assets owned by Raj Jit from 2013 and his family members which gives definite scope for further inquiry,” said the SIT said.
The probe found that Raj Jit showed under-valued properties as his assets and used cash taken from relatives as “gifts”.
The SIT had sought a probe into the list of financial capacity of relatives who “gifted” money to him.
About Inderjit, the SIT found that he used to plant drugs on innocent people to extort money from them. Most of them were later discharged.