Salwinder faces forced retirement
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is set to proceed with “compulsory retirement” of suspended superintendent of police (SP)-rank officer Salwinder Singh who recently got a clean chit from the NIA for his role in the Pathankot airbase attack last year. Punjab DGP office has forwarded the case of Salwinder’s forced retirement to home department.
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is set to proceed with “compulsory retirement” of suspended superintendent of police (SP)-rank officer Salwinder Singh, 53, who recently got a clean chit from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his role in the Pathankot airbase terror attack last year. He was purportedly kidnapped by terrorists hours before the attack.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) office last week forwarded the case of Salwinder’s compulsory retirement to the state home department, citing his “controversial conduct throughout his service in Punjab Police, starting as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI)”. The DGP office, say sources in the home department, has cited series of episodes of “misconduct and indiscipline” to support its case against the controversial cop.
Inducted as a Punjab Police Service officer in 2006, he has remained close to politicians, especially SAD leader from Gurdaspur Sucha Singh Langha, and his conduct has come under the scanner time and again, especially in cases of sexual harassment. “Due to a series of cases against him, the senior officials decided to take action against him in form of giving him compulsory retirement. A file regarding the same has been received with a recommendation from the Punjab DGP office,” a top official of the home department told HT.
Salwinder, would continue to get the retirement benefits once he is sent on compulsory retirement.
MULTIPLE CASES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
In October 2016, a case of sexual harassment was slapped against the suspended SP in Gurdaspur after six woman cops filed a complaint with the DGP.
In August that year, Salwinder was booked in another case of sexual harassment. The complainant, a Punjab government employee, had accused the cop had taken ₹50,000 to delete his name from the FIR in a “false” rape case, and also developed illicit relations with his wife on the pretext of visiting his house for probe. Declared a proclaimed offender in this case, after his bail plea was rejected in the high court in September last year, Salwinder remained underground for months and was suspended. Finally, he surrendered in a Gurdaspur court on April 20, and was sent to judicial remand up to May 4. He is presently lodged in the Gurdaspur jail.
Another case of sexual harassment dates back to the time when he was training as an ASI in the Phillaur Police Academy. He allegedly got involved in a scandal with a woman employee posted in the principal’s office.