Faridkot deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Lakhvir Singh, who is already in the vigilance bureau (VB)’s custody in a corruption case, and an inspector, who is posted as a reader in the office of deputy inspector general (DIG), Ferozepur Range, have been booked in Tarn Taran for allegedly extorting ₹23 lakh from a sub-inspector (SI) for not implicating him in a drugs case.
The bribe, it has been alleged, was taken at the behest of then Ferozepur DIG Inderbir Singh, who on Tuesday rubbished the allegations, calling them “totally false and frivolous”. The senior cop is now posted as the joint director of Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur.
The Tarn Taran police have so far made no arrest in the case, which was registered against DSP Lakhvir Singh and inspector Barjinder Singh under Section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act besides Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 388 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc), 389 (putting person in fear) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Patti City police station on July 15.
While Barjinder Singh is accused of “hatching the conspiracy” to harass and torture the SI in illegal custody, the DSP is accused of allegedly striking a deal with the then DIG to let off the complainant. DSP Lakhvir Singh was earlier arrested and sent to the VB’s custody in another corruption case, in which he is accused of letting off a drug peddler after accepting ₹10 lakh bribe. After his five-day remand ends on Wednesday, the Tarn Taran police are likely to seek his custody to question him in the extortion case.
{{/usCountry}}While Barjinder Singh is accused of “hatching the conspiracy” to harass and torture the SI in illegal custody, the DSP is accused of allegedly striking a deal with the then DIG to let off the complainant. DSP Lakhvir Singh was earlier arrested and sent to the VB’s custody in another corruption case, in which he is accused of letting off a drug peddler after accepting ₹10 lakh bribe. After his five-day remand ends on Wednesday, the Tarn Taran police are likely to seek his custody to question him in the extortion case.
{{/usCountry}}Case dates back to December 2021
According to the FIR, a copy of which is with the HT, the case dates back to December 10, 2021, when the SI, who was posted as the in-charge of crime investigation agency (CIA) at Patti, was called by the reader, allegedly on the “instructions” of the then Ferozepur DIG. On December 11, the SI along with his subordinate reached the DIG’s office, from where they were allegedly asked to go to the Ferozepur CIA office.
The SI was allegedly illegally detained and tortured at the Ferozepur CIA office by its then in-charge. “When I sought the reason for detaining me, the in-charge told me that it is being done on the DIG’s orders. My dope test was conducted at the CIA’s office, and it came negative. Despite this, I was harassed continuously without any reason,” the SI said in his complaint.
The SI’s subordinate allegedly told him to seek the help of DSP Lakhvir Singh, who had “links with senior police officials” and was also known to the SI as he was earlier posted as a DSP at the Bhikhiwind subdivision of Tarn Taran. “I talked to the DSP on December 12. He told me that he had talked with the DIG and assured me the issue would be sorted out,” the SI said in his complaint.
Later, the DSP allegedly told the SI that the DIG had many complaints against him, and he was threatening to register a case against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act if he failed to arrange ₹35 lakh. “I refused to give the huge amount, but the DSP told me to pay at least ₹25 lakh. I was in fear and wanted to save my job. I asked the DSP to give me two to three days for arranging the money. After this, I was released from the CIA office,” the SI stated in his complaint.
On December 13, the SI allegedly withdrew ₹10 lakh from his bank account and handed over the money to the DSP with a promise of giving the remaining amount in two days. On December 14, the SI allegedly withdrew another ₹5 lakh from his bank account and arranged ₹8 lakh from his relatives, and delivered ₹13 lakh at the DSP’s house in Tarn Taran. The SI alleged said the DSP continued to harass him for the remaining ₹2 lakh.
Responding to the allegations, DIG Inderbir Singh told the HT: “I am not aware of the case. I will have to look into it. The allegations against me are totally false and frivolous.”
Though Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ranjit Singh Dhillon refused to comment on the case, another senior district police officer privy to the investigations said the role of the DIG and other cops named by the SI in his complaint will also be probed.