Jaswinder Singh, suspected mastermind of the fake-passport scam of 2008, is no longer a policeman. On Friday, the head constable was dismissed from service. Two days ago, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gurmit Singh and constable Gurmukh Singh were sacked
Two days ago, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gurmit Singh and constable Gurmukh Singh were sacked on a charge of helping Jaswinder secure a fake passport to flee the country and escape a trial in Faridkot's additional district and sessions court.
"Head constable Jaswinder Singh was involved in three major criminal cases in Moga already," said senior superintendent of police Surjit Singh Garewal, after signing the dismissal order. "Now the Faridkot police have caught him with a fake passport."
Jaswinder Singh had approached the US embassy in New Delhi to get a visa. During the verification of his passport, the embassy officials detected that his identity of Gurdit Singh was fake. A secret input to the police brought his arrest.
Invoking powers under Article 311 (2) (b) of the Constitution of India, the SSP dismissed the head constable from service. On July 13, 2008, Jaswinder Singh, was named as suspect in a case registered under the Passport Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act in Moga."
Later, the special investigation cell (SIC) of Punjab Police found that the head constable had helped Gurpreet Singh of Ghumman village in Gurdaspur district obtain a fake passport at a fake address of Mudki Road in Baghapurana. Another case against Jaswinder Singh was lodged on July 22, 2008, again in Moga.
{{/usCountry}}Later, the special investigation cell (SIC) of Punjab Police found that the head constable had helped Gurpreet Singh of Ghumman village in Gurdaspur district obtain a fake passport at a fake address of Mudki Road in Baghapurana. Another case against Jaswinder Singh was lodged on July 22, 2008, again in Moga.
{{/usCountry}}In the third case, reported in 2010, he was accused of defrauding the Moga foreign regional registration office (FRRO) of money. In 2004, he had been named in a matter of police clearance certificate to Jagdev Singh, a man under trial on the count of killing former legislator Nachhatter Singh Gill, father of former director general of police PS Gill, with a bullet in 1991. Jagdev Singh and others were co-suspects.
Looking into the fake-passport scam, the SIC found that more than 300 fake passports had been prepared at just one address in Dunneke village, besides many more at Guru Ram Dass Nagar in Moga.
Jaswinder Singh, Gurdial Singh, and Ranjit Singh, head constables in the security branch of the SSP's office in Moga from 1995 to 2008; and clerk Didar Singh from the regional passport office in Chandigarh were main suspects in this case of forging the proofs of residence, age, education, and marriage.