VB APOLOGISES OVER MISTAKE IN SEEKING HC ARREST ORDERS

CHANDIGARH : The state vigilance bureau has submitted an unconditional apology to the Punjab and Haryana high court after authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, detained a wrong individual, Gurdev Singh, a resident of Southall, England, on November 2, on directions from it.

Actually, the vigilance had issued a look-out circular for Gurdev Singh Syan, a retired chief engineer from the Punjab irrigation department, wanted in a corruption case, registered after the Congress government took charge. When informed that a ‘Gurdev Singh’ had been detained, the vigilance did not verify if he was the one it actually wanted to apprehend. In fact, it jumped the gun.

As an emergency case, the vigilance got arrest warrants issued from justice AB Chaudhary of the HC with advocate general Atul Nanda appearing at the judge’s residence. It was only after a few hours that the vigilance realised that it was a case of mistaken identity, and that the airport had stopped the wrong person.

Then, Gurdev Singh was allowed to leave for London on the next flight, the same day.

On November 6, assistant inspector general Ashish Kapoor filed in affidavit in the HC that termed the mix-up as bona fide mistake and submitted an unconditional apology for this.

Speaking to HT, Syan said he did not plan to leave the country. “I have been present every time the bureau has called me,” he said. The Gurdev Singh who was detained couldn’t be contacted. The HC will hold a hearing on the apology on Monday.