‘Police connivance’: Reshuffle of SHOs, SSPs on the anvil
CHANDIGARH : After some ministers insisted in Monday’s emergency meeting of the state cabinet that drugs in the state cannot be sold without the connivance of the police, particularly SHOs and SSPs, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh assured them that a total reshuffle will be effected at both the levels.
A minister, requesting anonymity, told HT about the decision taken in the cabinet meeting.
The orders to transfer controversial Moga SSP Raj Jit Singh Hundal and dismiss Ferozepur DSP Daljit Singh Dhillon after the Monday meeting are being seen as the first step to the reshuffle.
The CM had called the cabinet meeting after a number of deaths were reported due to alleged drug overdose recently. Different NGOs and social organisations have come out on streets, which pushed the government on the backfoot. Opposition parties – Aam Aadmi Party, Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party – have also launched statewide protests against the government.
In the cabinet discussion on Monday, minister Razia Sultana, who is wife of Muhammad Mustafa, a DG rank officer in the state police, said the drugs are easily available, pointing fingers at the police.
She was supported by other ministers, including Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa who said the government’s image is being seriously dented over the drug issue, especially because the (assembly) elections were won by the Congress on the promise of ending the drug problem in four weeks after taking over the government.
The CM then agreed to a reshuffle of police officers.
Notably, there are around 400 police stations in the state and 24 SSPs and three commissioners as police heads in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
State Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who joined the group of ministers after the cabinet meeting was over, also demanded government’s intervention over the issue “without wasting any time”.
Some ministers also stressed the need for transferring SHOs who have been posted at a particular police station for 10 to 15 years.