Vigilance books 3 cops for extortion, will investigate ‘role’ of IPS officer

MARCH 2017 SANGRUR CASE Vigilance inquiry reveals an SHO, two ASIs extorted ₹19 lakh from two men for letting them off in a murder case; report also names then Sangrur SSP, exSunam DSP

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I have got a clean chit in investigation carried out by Shiv Kumar Verma, vigilance director, Chandigarh. I have not been named as an accused in the FIR. INDERBIR SINGH, former Sangrur SSP, now AIG posted in Chandigarh

PATIALA : Eighteen months after extortion allegations rocked the state police department in Sangrur, the vigilance bureau has booked three policemen.

The vigilance First-Information Report (FIR), which states that the police illegally confined and extorted ₹19 lakh from two men, adds that the roles of the then SSP of Sangrur, Inderbir Singh, and of the then DSP Sunam, Jasandeep Singh Gill, will be investigated in due course.

Inderbir, a 2008-batch IPS officer in now an assistant inspector general (AIG), posted at Chandigarh. Gill is now DSP, special operations group, Patiala.

The cops named as the accused are the then Longowal SHO Sikandar Singh and his subordinates, ASI Gurmel Singh and ASI Baljinder Singh.

The vigilance FIR, registered in Patiala, adds that Hardev Singh was murdered, allegedly by a gangster, Dalwinder Singh Babli, on February 16, 2017.

The vigilance found that these cops extorted money from Dhanwant Singh and Harjinder Singh, both Sangrur residents, suspected to be a part of the murder conspiracy, for letting them off.

CM GAVE CASE TO VIGILANCE

The case grabbed headlines after Inderbir’s successor, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, found him to be, prima facie, involved in extortion and recommended the registration of an FIR against him. However, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh handed over the case to the vigilance that has taken 18 months to complete investigation.

Reconstructing the sequence of events, the FIR says, “Vigilance inquiry has found that on Feb 20, 2017, ASI Baljinder Singh picked up Dhanwant Singh from a Sangrur court and kept him in illegal custody till March 1.”

However, the report notes that on March 2, 2017, the then SSP Inderbir had told a press conference that Dhanwant was an accused and was absconding.

The FIR adds that during the same period, ASI Baljinder and ASI Gurmel, picked up Harjinder Singh, kept him in illegal custody and demanded ₹20 lakh as bribe, for not naming him in the FIR, for having helped gangster Babli.

“The amount was later settled for ₹14 lakh. Karamjeet, brother of Dhanwant, paid ₹7 lakh on March 6 to ASI Gurmel Singh at the residence of the then SHO Sikandar Singh. The SHO ordered that Dhanwant be released from illegal confinement. The rest of the bribe was taken in two instalments,” the vigilance report says.

The report adds that after gangster Babli was arrested on March 6, 2017, SHO Sikandar Singh did not make any mention of his confession that Dhanwant had accompanied him to purchase the crime weapon.

“The SSP named Dhanwant as an accused, but there was no mention of this in the case file. Dhanwant was freed from illegal detention after the bribe was paid,” the vigilance adds.

When contacted, Inderbir told HT, “I have got a clean chit in the investigation that Shiv Kumar Verma, vigilance director, Chandigarh, carried out. I have not been named as an accused in the FIR. It’s standard police procedure to name all persons mentioned in the complaint.”

DSP Gill said, “The vigilance inquiry has given me a clean chit. I am not aware of my name having found a mention in the vigilance FIR. I had clarified to them that I am not aware of any extortion. They have not summoned me after recording my statement.”

Vigilance officials said the FIR had been registered as an exact copy of a letter it received from the head office.

Vigilance SSP Jaspreet Singh Sidhu said, “I cannot comment on the status of the case, as I left for training a day after the registration of the FIR.”

Meanwhile, a Sangrur court has rejected the bail application of two accused, who are absconding.