Tarn Taran civil hospital in dock for giving false dope test reports

TARNTARAN: Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dhruv Dahiya has written a letter to deputy commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal for initiating a probe against Tarn Taran civil hospital after it cleared 14 drug addict policemen in a dope test.

Tarn Taran police had conducted dope test of 23 suspected cops at the civil hospital earlier this month. After the reports of all the policemen were found negative, it raised suspicion. Their re-tests were conducted at the Amritsar civil hospital on November 14 and out of the total, 14 cops failed the dope test.

This comes days after a poster mentioning ‘anyone can get their fake dope test done at the civil hospital at just ₹5,000’ were found pasted on the hospital premises.

SSP Dahiya said since Tarn Taran civil hospital cleared all suspects and 14 of the total were found positive during their tests at Amritsar hospital, it smack of ‘wrongdoings and collusions’ on the part of some officials of health department. “I have written a letter to the DC for initiating a probe in this regard,” he said.

On Sunday, the SSP had dismissed two of the 14 policemen— assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Darshan Singh and head-constable Tehal Singh— after a video clip showing them taking drugs had gone viral on social media.

On being asked why other policemen did not face similar action, he said, “We have adopted zero tolerance against drugs.

Investigation in the cases of 12 other policemen is also underway. Till now, they have been transferred. Departmental action will also be initiated against them soon,” he said.

Harikrishan Arora, a social activist, said, “The hospital is notorious for making fake dope reports. We had been raising the issue for last few months, but the administration only awakened after the dope test of policemen was found negative. From the doctors to the officials of the administration, all are involved in this practice of furnishing fake dope reports, especially which is required for arm licenses. We demand an independent inquiry into the matter. The whole racket should be busted.”

An official of health department in Tarn Taran on condition of anonymity said, “This is not happening only at Tarn Taran civil hospital. Similar racket is also being run at Patti civil hospital. If a genuine test is conducted, most of the weapon license holders in the district will be tested positive. It is a serious threat which should be probed thoroughly.”

Senior medical officer (SMO) of the hospital, Dr Indermohan Gupta, however, denied the charges.

He said, “These all are wrong reports. Dope tests are being conducted by a medical officer and a laboratorian. No one has complained about fake dope tests being conducted here. We need at least a complaint before initiating the action.”

Tarn Taran is the worst-hit district of Punjab in terms of drug menace with more than 30,000 drug addicts being treated in government and private de-addiction centres. Tarn Taran administration has already declared 66 of the total 547 villages of the district as ‘much-afflicted’ from drugs.

Tarn Taran hospital has cleared all suspected drug addict cops in a dope test while 14 of 23 cops failed the test at Amritsar hospital. DHRUV DAHIYA, SSP, Tarn Taran