Prime accused booked five times since 2015, never arrested or transferred

INVESTIGATIONS HAVE FOUND THAT NEARLY 700 FAKE LICENCES WERE ISSUED

TARN TARAN: Police have registered a fresh case with regard to issuance of fake arms licence against Tarn Taran DC office’s staffer Karwinder Singh alias Cheema—who is the prime accused in the racket—and another person at Patti Sadar police station.

In the fresh case, Cheema and one Kanwaljit Singh of Bhaini Gurmukh Singh village were booked for making fake arms licences by taking “heavy amount” of money from the applicants. The police have also recovered two fake licences allegedly made by the accused.

This is the fifth such case against Cheema since 2015, but he never was arrested all these years. He continues to be posted at the same post in the arms licensing branch. He reportedly enjoys a considerable clout among political leaders.

The first case was registered against Cheema, former clerk Jasbir Singh, computer operator Sukhdev Singh, and owner of SB Gun House Sukhtinder Beer Singh at the Tarn Taran city police station on August 29, 2015 on the basis of investigations conducted by an Amritsar-based deputy commissioner of police. The investigation had pointed out that over 200 arms licences were fake. An inquiry was marked to the then AIG (crime), Amritsar, who reportedly gave a clean chit to Cheema. However, this report was not accepted by the director, Bureau of Investigation.another

case was registered by the vigilance bureau, Amritsar, after a fire gutted the records in the arms licensing branch at Tarn Taran. A report from Powercom officials had revealed that the fire did not erupt due to a short circuit as was alleged. One more case was registered at Patti police station in June 2020 with the recovery of five fake arms licences, but no arrest was made.

In October 2020, Cheema approached the Punjab and Haryana high court saying “the police have not found any incriminating material” against him and the case registered against him in 2015 should be quashed. The court issued notice of motion to police for December 12, 2020. However, the police sought further time for the reply and scheduled the case for February 4, 2021. The Tarn Taran police didn’t file the challan, which may give benefit to the accused. Now, the next date of hearing is April 27, 2021.

The court has also asked Tarn Taran police not to take any “coercive action” against the accused in the case registered in November 2020, till the further hearing. The counsel of the accused told the court that the police registered the November case after the accused filed the application for quashing the 2015 FIR.

SSP Dhruman H Nimbale said, “In 2015 case, the challan was not presented in the court as Tarn Taran administration didn’t provide the record of the arms branch. Though our investigation is on in the November and recently registered case, we are still waiting the records from the DC office to strengthen our case.” He said, investigations have found that nearly 700 fake licences were issued. Tarn Taran DC, Kulwant Singh said, “All records pertaining to 2015 case was given to the police.”