Chinks in SIT probe exposed

CHANDIGARH: Questions are being raised over the manner in which the probe was carried out by the SIT led by IG Praveen Sinha into the alleged pilferage of ₹6.65 crore by the police during a raid at Jalandhar priest’s residence.

Two ASIs, Jaswant Singh and Rajpreet Singh, who are “untraceable” and had allegedly walked away with the cash, were made part of the raiding team by Khanna senior SSP Dhruv Dahiya on a DSP’s request.

The ASIs, who were posted in Patiala, joined the raiding party on March 27, two days before the police seized the cash. The SIT has failed to explain why the two ASIs were roped in for the operation

when they didn’t have expertise to carry out such a task. After the SIT was formed on March 31, it took 12 days to submit the report even as senior officials said it was clear from the day one that the money has been siphoned off after the SIT recorded statement of the bank employees present at the house of priest when raid was conducted. Even after the formation of the SIT, no effort was made to detain the ASIs.

Also, the CCTV footage and statements of eyewitnesses had proved wrong the police theory of confiscating the money from a Doraha naka. “There was enough evidence to prove that money was confiscated from Anthony’s house and this prompted the DGP to form the SIT,” a senior official said.

However, the SIT made no effort to find out whereabouts of the cops. The delay in reaching any conclusion by the SIT gave ample time to the ASIs to go underground.