₹20-lakh bribery case: HC stays absconding SP’s arrest till Feb 6

The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted interim relief from arrest to absconding superintendent of police Gagnesh Kumar in a bribery case. The court has also ordered Punjab Police to file a detailed reply and investigate inspector general of police Pardeep Kumar Yadav in the case.

Faridkot : The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday granted interim relief from arrest to absconding superintendent of police (SP) Gagnesh Kumar till the next hearing on February 6 in a ₹20-lakh bribery case.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday granted interim relief from arrest to absconding superintendent of police (SP) Gagnesh Kumar till the next hearing on February 6 in a ₹20-lakh bribery case.

The bribe was allegedly sought to “re-nominate a prime accused” in the murder case of deputy head of Harka Das dera Dayal Das, who was shot dead at Kot Sukhia village in Faridkot on November 7, 2019.

The court also ordered Punjab Police to file a detailed reply and also point out “what is the investigation against inspector general of police (IGP) Pardeep Kumar Yadav and what are they proposing against him in the case”.

Even six months after the Punjab vigilance bureau named SP Gagnesh as an accused in the case, the probe agency had failed to trace him. A Faridkot court earlier this month issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Gagnesh for the fifth time.

SP Ganesh had moved an anticipatory bail application in the high court. While arguing, counsel for the petitioner pointed out that IGP Pardeep Kumar Yadav was the main accused, who has not been arraigned as an accused.

Earlier this month, VB submitted a proposal to the state government seeking a go-ahead to name IGP Pardeep Kumar Yadav as an accused in the bribery case. Yadav is presently posted as IGP (technical services), Chandigarh, with an additional charge of resident commissioner (police coordination), Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi.

The VB had sent the proposal after the Faridkot court accepted Malkiat Das’s plea to turn approver in the case. Malkiat, who is head of gaushala in Faridkot, is also an accused in the ₹20-lakh bribery case. Malkiat, after turning approver, provided details regarding the bribe paid to two police officers, which he claimed were collected from him on behalf of the IG Yadav. Earlier this month, Malkiat had recorded his statement in the court.