2013 Moga drug case: AIG Dhillon, other cops come under court scanner

TERMING IT ‘CLEAR CASE OF ABUSE OF POLICE POWERS’, COURT ORDERS INQUIRY AGAINST COPS IN DRUG SEIZURE CASE AT NATHUWALA POLICE POST

FARIDKOT: Additional inspector general (Aig-crime) Kamaljit Singh Dhillon is among some other cops who have come under lens as a Moga court has ordered the district SSP to conduct an inquiry against the investigating officer (IO) Amarjit Singh and other police officials concerned in the Nathuwala police post drug seizure case of 2013.

IO Amarjit, who is now an inspector, was then a sub-inspector and SHO, Baghapurana. Another police official whose role has come under scanner is the then Moga deputy superintendent of police (DSP-HQ) Gurmeet Singh.

In its order, the additional district and sessions court has directed the Moga SSP to submit a report by November 1, 2018. The detailed copy of the order, pronounced on September 21, came on Thursday.

On September 6, 2013, police had arrested Jagseer Singh and recovered 140 kg of poppy husk in Moga. The same day, the police arrested ASI Jarnail Singh and head constable Davinder Singh after 168 kg of poppy husk was recovered from the Nathuwala police post. Head constable Jasvir Singh had managed to flee the spot.

The two cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Baghapurana police station when Dhillon was Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP). The Bureau of Investigation of the Punjab Police had initiated a probe against Dhillon in June last year after the then inspector general of police (Bathinda) MS Chinna recommended to the office of the Punjab director general of police (DGP) that a probe be ordered against Dhillon for taking a ₹40-lakh bribe from ASI Jarnail Singh.

Jarnail had alleged that he paid the bribe to Dhillon for delaying the challan and filing a cancellation report in the court. The ASI, however, said he later got his money back at the intervention of some influential persons.

On September 21, the Moga court acquitted four people in the two cases, including ASI Jarnail Singh, head constables Jasvir Singh and Davinder Singh. Jagseer Singh was the fourth person acquitted.

Observing that it is a “clear case of abuse of police powers”, the court said, “Due to the doings of the IO, both the accused (Jarnail and Jasvir) had to spend more than 180 days behind the bars, besides facing ignominy, disrepute, loss of face in the society and mental agony. They must have endured physical burden of facing the prosecution by incurring heavy financial burden.”

“The criminal role played by the Investigating Officer and other police officials/officers in bringing vexatious prosecution (sic) needs to be inquired into as per Section 58 of the (NDPS) Act read with Section 211 IPC,” says the judgment.

In July 2018, Dhillon was appointed Moga SSP again following the removal of Raj Jit Singh Hundal from the post. Within ten days, the Punjab government removed Dhillon following reports about the inquiries pending against him.

Meanwhile, Dhillon was not available for his comments despite repeated phone calls and text messages by HT.