Hindustan Times (Patiala)

Former SSP’s son, two kin absconding, issued warrants

- Navrajdeep Singh n navrajdeep.singh@hindustant­imes.com

THE NAMES OF HIS RELATIVES CROPPED UP AFTER VIGILANCE FOUND ‘BENAMI’ PROPERTIES WORTH OVER

₹2 CR IN THEIR NAME

the son and two relatives of former senior superinten­dent of police (SSP) SS Grewal evading arrest after being named as co-accused in the disproport­ionate assets case, a local court has issued non-bailable warrants against the three.

The co-accused — Grewal’s son Jasjit Singh, his brother-inlaw Jaswinder Singh and his cousin Pritpal Singh — have approached the Punjab and Haryana high court for anticipato­ry bail, the hearing for which is scheduled on July 10.

Grewal, who is accused of indulging in corruption and misusing office during his service, surrendere­d on April 17 after the Supreme Court denied him bail in DA cases registered against him by the state vigilance bureau in December last year.

The names of his relatives cropped during investigat­ion after VB found ‘benami’ properties worth over ₹2 crore in their name besides Grewal’s.

“VB has so far found properties worth ₹16 crore in the name of Grewal and his relatives,” said a senior VB official.

During Grewal’s interrogat­ion, VB found a banquet hall at Khanna in Ludhiana district, and 25 bighas of agricultur­al land at Bhasaur village near Dhuri in Sangrur district in their name. “Though Grewal bought agricultur­e land on the name of his relatives, the investigat­ors found that the purchase was funded by Grewal during his service years,” an official said.

SSP vigilance Jaspreet Singh Sidhu said the three co-accused though joined probe at one point of time but have failed to appear before them.

“The teams were also been sent to arrest them but they are absconding,” Sidhu said. The Patiala VB wing had conducted a detailed inquiry against Grewal after a US-based NRI, Sarabjit Singh, complained in 2015.

A FIR was registered in December 2017. Grewal was posted as SSP (vigilance) at Jalandhar and Ferozepur before being made Moga SSP.

THE INQUIRY REPORT

The inquiry report says that Grewal possessed assets six times his known sources of income and found him making benami (proxy) investment­s in properties. He also purchased 5kg gold worth ₹1.5 crore and invested ₹1 crore in a private company in the name of a relative, it was alleged.

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