Vigilance bureau to probe Sangrur extortion case

The ASIs, Baljinder Singh Chatha and Balkar Singh, were booked on April 17 for allegedly extorting money from the family of a Rajasthan cop, Kanhaiya Lal, (52), who was allegedly arrested with 5kg opium on March 7. The police are yet to arrest Baljinder and Balkar.

Three months after the Sangrur police booked two assistant sub-inspectors for extortion, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora handed over the probe to the vigilance bureau (VB).

ASI Baljinder Singh Chatha (left) and ASI Balkar Singh. (HT Photo)

The ASIs, Baljinder Singh Chatha and Balkar Singh, were booked on April 17 for allegedly extorting money from the family of a Rajasthan cop, Kanhaiya Lal, (52), who was allegedly arrested with 5kg opium on March 7. The police are yet to arrest Baljinder and Balkar.

According to the DGP’s order, VB senior superintendent of police, Patiala, will investigate the case. “We have received the orders and will start the probe,” Pritam Singh, SSP, VB, Patiala, said.

The first information report (FIR) says that Kanhaiya’s family, based in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, reached Sangrur to meet him in the jail and after a meeting, they were trying to approach the superintendent of police, but they were stopped by the ASIs near the police lines and were asked not to complain to the senior officer. They also retuned ₹2 lakh, which they had allegedly taken as a bribe from the family on March 6.

Kanhaiya’s daughters Sunita and Mamta had alleged that their father was picked from Narwana in Haryana on March 5 and Baljinder called them over the phone demanding ₹5 lakh.

Baljinder is also facing a vigilance probe in another extortion case in which five police officials, including former SSP Inderbir Singh, former DSP Sunam, Jashandeep Gill, Longowal station house officer (SHO) Sikandar Singh, and Badrukhan post in-charge Gurmail Singh were found prima facie guilty of extorting money from two farmers.