Hindustan Times (Patiala)

DSP, HEAD CONSTABLE DISMISSED FOR ‘PUSHING WOMEN INTO DRUGS’

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

The Punjab government on Monday dismissed deputy superinten­dent of police (DSP), Ferozepur, Daljit Singh Dhillon from service over allegation­s of pushing women into drugs. The orders were issued by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh under provisions of Article 311 of the Constituti­on, said a press release.

Head constable Inderjit Singh has also been dismissed by the commission­er of police, Jalandhar, for sexual exploitati­on of a woman there on the pretext of marrying her.

Dhillon was earlier placed under suspension on June 28, following charges of pushing a 28-year-old Ludhiana woman into drugs, while Inderjit was under suspension since September last year. Dismissal orders of Dhillon came after legal examinatio­n of a fact-finding inquiry conducted by Anita Punj, director, Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, and based on the statement of the woman.

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government on Monday dismissed deputy superinten­dent of police (DSP), Ferozepur, Daljit Singh Dhillon from service over allegation­s of pushing women into drugs. The orders were issued by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh under provisions of Article 311 of the Constituti­on, said a press release.

Head constable Inderjit Singh has also been dismissed by the commission­er of police, Jalandhar, for sexual exploitati­on of a woman there on the pretext of marrying her.

Dhillon was earlier placed under suspension on June 28, following charges of pushing a 28-year-old Ludhiana woman into drugs, while Inderjit was under suspension since September last year. Dismissal orders of Dhillon came after legal examinatio­n of a fact-finding inquiry conducted by Anita Punj, director, Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, and based on the statement of the woman.

A case under sections 376 (rape) and 376C (rape by in-service officer) of the Indian penal Code was registered against the DSP on Sunday. In the inquiry, the officer was found indulging in “morally corrupt” activities while posted at Tarn Taran and “misusing his official position and powers vested in him as a gazetted police officer” by “raping” a girl and “alluring her into drugs”, according to the press release.

Further probe has been entrusted to a special investigat­ing team headed by Arunpal Singh, IGP (crime), Sanmeet Kaur, AIG (investigat­ion), and Rakesh Kaushal, commandant.

As for the dismissal of Inderjit, in August a video of the alleged marriage of the woman with him went viral, showing her alleging that the head constable had sexually exploited her on the pretext of marriage and also solemnised marriage with her to save his skin, and pushed her into drug abuse.

A spokespers­on said there was a series of complaints filed by a woman, but she retracted her statements, making it “impossible” for the police to investigat­e the matter. The spokespers­on said the commission­er felt that in the present circumstan­ces it was “not reasonably practicabl­e” to conduct a department­al inquiry or any other proceeding against Inderjit, and thus he was dismissed.

On June 30, the mother of the victim submitted a formal complaint with the Jalandhar police that the head constable had taken away her daughter.

She said she feared her efforts to save her daughter would fail as the police officer would again push her into drugs.

A LUDHIANA WOMAN MADE ALLEGATION­S AGAINST THE DSP, WHILE HEAD CONSTABLE FACED SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES AS WELL

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