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Punjab Police AIG arrested for assaulting vigilance DSP
AIG Malwinder Singh Sidhu, has been charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and criminal intimidation
The Mohali Police on Wednesday arrested Malwinder Singh Sidhu, AIG (Human Rights), for allegedly assaulting the deputy superintendent of police (vigilance), who was questioning him regarding an ongoing inquiry against him for alleged disproportionate assets (DA) and criminal misconduct at the local vigilance office.
AIG has been charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and criminal intimidation. The AIG has been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Phase-8 police station following the complaint of victim DSP Barinder Gill.
Notably, the vigilance had summoned Sidhu thrice but the AIG never joined the probe before. As per reports, Sidhu appeared before the inquiry officer and was found that he was allegedly carrying a voice recorder with him. A senior vigilance bureau officer, who didn’t wish to be named, said that Sidhu pushed the inquiry officer and manhandled him when he was asked to hand over his recorder and phone.
As per VB officials, the probe was regarding a complaint against the AIG for allegedly misusing his official powers and gathering government documents related to Punjab Police officials posing as AIG (VB).
AIG, according to the vigilance, was being probed pertaining to the allegations that he was trying to collect details about the caste certificates of a few officers.
AIG had ridiculed the allegations levelled against him by VB and claimed that a few officers have attained senior positions in the force by submitting fake caste certificates. He added that since he was trying to expose them, a conspiracy was hatched against him.
“In order to put pressure on the department, AIG had conducted a press conference two weeks back alleging harassment by the VB. When he was asked to fill out the DA performa, he tore it and refused to fill it. When he was told to hand over his phone and recorder, he pushed the enquiry officer and manhandled him. He also broke his spectacles”, a senior Vigilance officer said.
Gill after the incident informed local police following which senior police officials of Mohali police reached the spot and registered the case against AIG at Phase 8 police station.
“We received a complaint from DSP (Vigilance) that the AIG has assaulted him and obstructed the work of a government servant following which we have arrested the officer. He will be produced before a local court on Thursday”, Akashdeep Aulakh, SP City, said.
