E-Paper
Ludhiana SHO, aide held with 10gm heroin
‘SUSPENDED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT’ STF IG says the accused had recovered the drug from five suspects, but had released them in lieu of ₹30,000 bribe; was seeking more money for releasing their car and phones
Ludhiana A team of Special Task Force (STF), Ludhiana unit, arrested Division Number 2 SHO sub-inspector Amandeep Singh Gill, 39, and his aide Ajay Kumar for possessing 10.35gram heroin from Khasi Kalan village, around 14km from district headquarters, on Tuesday night. Police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal has suspended the SHO with immediate effect.
The SHO had recovered the drug from five suspects, but instead of lodging an First-Information Report (FIR) set them free in lieu of bribe. Kumar had been associated with Amandeep for eight years and drove his car, even when he was on official duty; this is illegal. Police sources said the SHO was demanding more money for releasing a Maruti Suzuki Swift and phones of the suspects.
Headconstable already dismissed in same case
Police say the SHO had close links with a dismissed headconstable Balvir Singh, who had benn arrested by the STF on February 16 for drug peddling, after 20gm heroin was recovered on him.
STF Inspector General (IG) RK Jaiswal said, “Balvir, along with his accomplices, had rounded up Sarvir Singh and Gurpal Singh of Jassowal village; Harpreet Singh, alias Peeta, and Gagan of Dakha village, and Satvir’s cousin Yadwinder Singh on February 11. He had handed over these suspects to SHO Amandeep Singh Gill. The SHO, instead of arresting them, released them in three days after taking a bribe of ₹30,000. He was demanding more money for releasing their vehicles, phones etc.”
He added that phones of these suspects and their car were hidden in the Division Number 2 police station itself; the heroin was recovered from the house of the SHO. A case under Sections 21, 59 (2), 61 and 85 of the NDPS act has been registered against the accused at STF police station, Mohali.
STF officials added that Balvir has confessed to links with senior cops, who are also under its scanner. The office of the assistant commissioner of police (ACP central) Waryam Singh is also in the building of police station Division Number 2. The STF will conduct a dope test on the accused SHO to verify if he is a drug addict. STF officials added that a perusal of his record had shown that he had not arrested any drug peddling accused for a long time.
Transferred to present posting just two weeks ago
Amandeep had got a job in the force as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) on compassionate grounds after the death of his father, who was a constable in Punjab Police, in 2008. He had been transferred to his present police station only on February 4. He was close to a Congress MLA, who helped him in being posted to his constituency. In his career, he served at the passport verification branch of the community police resource centre, and then as Division number 1 SHO. Later, he was transferred to Jalandhar. On October 16, 2019 he had joined as SHO police station Division number 7.
