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Punjab DSP, an Arjuna awardee, found dead along canal in Jalandhar
Body with multiple injuries found near canal on town’s outskirts; family lodges missing complaint after 54-year-old Dalbir Singh Deol, who had gone for New Year celebrations on Sunday night, failed to return home
An Arjuna awardee, Punjab deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Dalbir Singh Deol, 54, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Jalandhar on Monday.
The body with multiple injuries was found abandoned near a canal at Basti Bawa Khel on the outskirts of Jalandhar town in the morning.
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Deol was posted at Punjab Armed Police (PAP) headquarters in Jalandhar.
Police started investigation after the DSP’s family lodged a complaint that he had gone for New Year celebrations with friends on Saturday evening, but failed to return home.
Deol was an Asian Games gold medallist in weightlifting and was later conferred the Arjuna Award in 2000.
On December 16, he had opened fire in an inebriated state after a fight with residents of Basti Ibrahim Khan village in Jalandhar who objected to his drinking in public. Deol was briefly detained but released the next day as both sides reached a compromise.
The DSP was allegedly consuming liquor with village sarpanch Bhupinder Singh Gill at a parking lot when the residents expressed their disapproval. Videos from the spot showed the DSP and the sarpanch arguing with the residents and Deol brandishing his weapon. Eyewitnesses said the DSP fired four rounds before the villagers overpowered the two and handed them over to the police.
Kartarpur DSP Balbir Singh said no case was registered as both parties had struck a compromise.
