A vigilance bureau team grilled former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Surjit Singh Grewal for five hours on Wednesday, after he joined investigation in a disproportionate assets case against him on directions from the Supreme Court. Grewal had been evading arrest for two months.
On March 16, the Supreme Court had heard Grewal’s bail plea and ordered interim stay on his arrest. He had also been ordered to join investigation before the vigilance bureau within a week. The next hearing in the Supreme Court is scheduled for April 2.
“We are probing the matter from all angles. The court has only given interim stay on his arrest,” said vigilance bureau SSP Jaspreet Singh Sidhu.
The Patiala wing of the VB had conducted a detailed inquiry against Grewal after a US-based non-resident Indian (NRI) Sarabjit Singh complained to the bureau chief director in 2015. A first-information report (FIR) was registered on December 21, 2017, in which Grewal is accused of indulging in corruption and misusing office during his service.
In its report, the VB found Grewal of possessing assets worth six times his known income and making benami (proxy) investments in property. He also purchased 5kg gold at ₹1.5 crore and invested ₹1 crore in a private company in the name of a relative, it is alleged.
{{/usCountry}}In its report, the VB found Grewal of possessing assets worth six times his known income and making benami (proxy) investments in property. He also purchased 5kg gold at ₹1.5 crore and invested ₹1 crore in a private company in the name of a relative, it is alleged.
{{/usCountry}}He remained posted as SSP (vigilance) at Jalandhar and Ferozepur before being made SSP of Moga and then of Fazilka in 2012. He retired in 2014.
The VB claims to have found irregularities during the scrutiny of Grewal’s property details of 15 years from April 1, 1999 to December 31, 2014. As per the FIR, the VB found that he had a net income of ₹2.1 crore in 15 years, but purchased properties (moveable and immovable) worth ₹12.2 crore in that period.
“Being a public servant with the Punjab Police, Grewal had completely misused his post and office and had spent way more than his income in the mentioned 15 years, while making illegal assets through corrupt means,” the report reads. The case was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and further investigation is on.