Suspended for laxity, DSP, 3 SHOs resume duty amid probe
AS MANY AS 123 PEOPLE HAD DIED AFTER CONSUMING ILLICIT LIQUOR IN AMRITSAR, TARN TARAN AND GURDASPUR BETWEEN THE LAST WEEK OF JULY AND FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST
: The police department has reinstated a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and three station house officers (SHOs) who were suspended for dereliction of duty in Punjab’s worst-ever hooch tragedy even as the magisterial inquiry in the case is still underway.
As many as 123 people had died after consuming illicit liquor in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts between the last week of July and first week of August. Tarn Taran alone had witnessed 84 of the total deaths.
The police officials suspended by the chief minister after the tragedy were Jandiala DSP Manjit Singh, Goindwal Sahib DSP Kamalmeet Singh, Tarn Taran SHOs (city and Sadar) Amrit Singh and Baljit Kaur, Tarsika SHO Bikramjit Singh and Batala (city) SHO Mukhtiar Singh.
The reinstated officials are Goindwal Sahib DSP, Tarn Taran SHOs (city and sadar) and the Batala (city) SHO. Bikramjit Singh said, “The process to reinstate me and the Jandiala DSP is underway. I hope we will too be reinstated soon.”
Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dhruman H Nimbale said the three cops of the district were reinstated last week.
“Besides them, four assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) were also suspended. Though the suspension of all the seven cops has been revoked, the departmental probe against them is still underway. Action will be taken against all those who will be found guilty.”
Batala SSP confirmed the revocation of the suepension of the Batala (city) SHO.
CM Amarinder had ordered the magisterial i nquiry on August 1 till when 38 deaths were reported. Jalandhar divisional commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary was tasked with the inquiry along with the SPs (investigation) of the three districts. Besides, the police had formed two special investigation teams (SITs) that have “completed” their probe and presented challans i n t he courts against the accused.
Jalandhar divisional commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary had said he would complete the probe in 21 days and put it up before the government. But there’s been no official i nformation from him regarding the completion or submission of his i nquiry report. HT has been trying to establish contact with him for several days, but he neither attended the calls nor replied to text messages.