‘EXTORTION’ CASE: SANGRUR EXSSP IN DOCK
Vigilance Bureau to conduct investigation; exSangrur top cop’s name removed from panel of officials shortlisted for Chandigarh SSP’s post
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered a vigilance inquiry against five police officials, including former Sangrur SSP Inderbir Singh, for allegedly extorting money from farmers. The CM also ordered all five cops to be transferred to the police lines pending inquiry, besides removing Inderbir’s name from the panel of officers shortlisted for the Chandigarh SSP’s post, said an official.
CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered a vigilance inquiry against five police officials, including former Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Inderbir Singh, for allegedly extorting money from farmers.
The CM also ordered all five cops to be transferred to the police lines pending inquiry, besides removing Inderbir’s name from the panel of officers shortlisted for the Chandigarh SSP’s post, said an official spokesman.
The CM directed stringent action against those found guilty by the vigilance probe. The farmers, whose families sold land and took loan to pay the extortion money, fear for their lives and the CM has directed officials concerned to ensure protection to them, the spokesman said.
The orders came after an initial probe by the Sangrur SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu found former SSP Inderbir, Sunam deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jashandeep Gill, Longowal station house officer (SHO) Sikandar Singh, Sangrur city police post in-charge Baljinder Singh and Badrukhan post in-charge Gurmail Singh prima facie guilty of extorting money from two farmers, while allegedly threatening to implicate them in a murder case.
The Sangrur SSP had recommended registration of a first information report and a vigilance probe against the five cops. Indervir, who was posted as AIG (personnel) in police headquarters,
Chandigarh, was on Monday transferred as AIG (policy and rules). He was eyeing the Chandigarh SSP’s post due to his “close relations” with some top Punjab Police officials, say sources.
A 25-year-old financier, Hardev Singh, was shot dead in Longowal in February by five gangsters led by Davinder Singh, alias Babli Randhawa. They later posted a video celebrating the murder. The farmers, Dhanwant Singh of Kotra Amrhu village and Harjinder Singh of
Dugga village, alleged that they were taken into custody illegally, just because they knew Randhawa before he became a gangster. The police then extorted money from their families, the farmers had alleged, seeking protection from victimisation and harassment.
Inderbir courted controversy within a few hours of his taking charge as Sangrur SSP on April 1 when he ordered the transfer of 15 SHOs. The orders were, however, withdrawn after intervention by senior officers.