2 cops among 3 booked for letting off accused

TARN TARAN A station house officer (SHO), an assistant subinspector (ASI) and a district mining officer have been booked for allegedly letting off some accused involved in illegal sand mining in Chamba village in Tarn Taran, police said on Thursday.

Junior Engineer Vikas Singla, who is posted as mining inspector in Tarn Tara district, SHO Charan Singh and ASI Harjinder Singh of Sarhali police station have been booked under Sections 8/13 of Prevention of Corruption Act, and Sections 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture) and 120B of the India Penal Code (IPC).

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Tarn Taran, Ranjit

Singh said they have sent the SHO and the ASI to police lines.

“The matter is being investigated by deputy superintendent of police Jagir Singh. Further action will be taken as per the probe,” he added.

The case against the trio has been registered after Tarn Taran police received a tip off that the “mining officer with the collusion of the employees of Sarhali police station didn’t nominate some accused” involved in illegal sand mining at Chamba village following a raid.

A team of Sarhali police station comprising ASI Harjinder Singh, ASI Paramjit Singh, ASI Baldev Singh, and Punjab Home Guards Jagjit Singh and Nayab Singh conducted a raid following a tip off filed a case on June 14 against those involved in illegal sand mining under Sections 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 21 (1) of the Mining Act at Sarhali police station.