Form SIT to probe allegations in IGP graft case: HC to CBI

CHANDIGARH:THE Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to constitute a special investigation team (SIT), headed by a superintendent of police (Sp)-rank official to investigate an FIR in which allegations of graft had cropped up against former Ferozepur inspector general (IG) Gurinder Singh Dhillon.

The order was issued by high court bench of justice Daya Chaudhary on the petition of Dhillon, who had argued that CBI does not have jurisdiction to probe the case. Dhillon had sought a probe by SIT of either Punjab or Haryana police. CBI’S counsel Sumeet Goel had argued that since part of commission of offence was reported in Chandigarh, a union territory, it had jurisdiction to register the case and launch investigations.

The CBI on August 17 had arrested a middleman, Ashok Goyal, a Ludhiana-based businessman, for accepting Rs 10 lakh allegedly a bribe on behalf of Dhillon. He was arrested on the complaint of a retired SSP (vigilance bureau), Shiv Kumar.

The high court has also directed the CBI to give Dhillon a week’s time before it initiates any action against him. Detailed order is awaited.

Last month, a coordinate bench of HC had directed CBI that if required it can carry out probe into a 2012 FIR registered in Ferozepur involving former SSP Shiv Kumar. He had levelled allegations against Dhillon and argued that since he was being probed by CBI on his complaint, he could not have presided over probe into FIR against Kumar.

An SIT, headed by Dhillon, was probing the 2012 revenue official frame-up case, in which EX-SSP Shiv Kumar and five other police officials are accused. A fresh DDR was registered in this case in 2018. Kumar had alleged that it was in this case that Ashok Goyal demanded a bribe of Rs 22 lakh on Dhillon’s behalf to settle the 2012 FIR case. Goyal was allegedly caught by CBI taking money, which he had claimed that was on behalf of Dhillon.