Head constable changes FIR for bribe of ₹50,000; held

Had hidden the drug recovery and registered a case under the Excise Act instead of the NDPS Act, allowing a peddling accused to apply for bail

In yet another blow to the Punjab government’s battle against drugs, a head constable was found to have changed an entire FIR to benefit a drug peddler in exchange of ₹50,000 bribe.

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The cop has been identified as Surinder Kumar, deputed at the Kaganwal police post.

As per an inquiry, Kumar had disposed of the cannabis recovered from a peddler and showed 12 bottles of illicit liquor as the recovery. The case was thus registered under the Excise Act instead of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, allowing the accused to apply for bail. It may be mentioned that cases under the Excise Act are bailable offences while those under the NDPS Act are non-bailable.

When the matter came to the knowledge of police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal, he marked an inquiry to assistant commissioner of police (ACP, South) Jashandeep Singh. The inquiry revealed that the head constable had recovered 500-gm cannabis but he registered the case under the NDPS Act after receiving a bribe of ₹50,000. The cop has now been arrested under Prevention of Corruption Act and around ₹8,000 of the bribe money has been recovered from his possession.

Police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said the head constable has been suspended with immediate effect and a departmental inquiry has also been marked.

The accused in the drug peddling case, Sanjay Upadhyay, is also in police custody.