Former DIG in dock as govt submits status report in HC
THE HIGH COURT HAS ALSO BEEN APPRISED OF THE SUBMISSION OF A 1,000-PAGE EVIDENCE BY DGP (INTERNAL VIGILANCE CELL) JASMINDER SINGH IN AN AMRITSAR COURT ON JANUARY 28
CHANDIGARH : With the state government submitting a status report in the 2004 Amritsar mass suicide in the Punjab and Haryana high court, the spotlight is back on the infamous case.
The HC has also been apprised of the submission of a 1,000-page evidence by DGP (internal vigilance cell) Jasminder Singh in an Amritsar court on January 28.
It was alleged that former DIG Kultar Singh, who was Amritsar SSP then, and other cops extorted over ₹5 lakh from Chowk Moni resident Hardip Singh and were demanding ₹7 lakh more as they had seen him murdering his father.
Though the police registered a case under Sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 388 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC, no one was taken into custody.
On October 31, 2004, Hardip, along with his wife, mother and two children, committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance.
Before taking the extreme step, the family had written a suicide note on the walls of a room of their house and had even sent copies of suicide note to their friends and some acquaintances by post, holding Kultar, who was then posted as Amritsar senior superintendent of police, responsible for forcing them to take the extreme step.
Documents accessed by Hindustan Times reveal how Kultar enjoyed patronage over the years and no action was taken against him. The then DGP, AA Siddiqui, said based on intelligence inputs, the state home department sent him a reference regarding large-scale corruption by Kultar. An inquiry was marked to DIG (border range), Amritsar, PS Gill.
Siddiqui sent a demi-official letter on August 13, 2004, to then principal secretary, home affairs and justice, SK Sinha, with a copy to then principal secretary to the CM Suresh Kumar, giving details of officials posted in the district indulging in corruption under the patronage of Kultar.
Siddiqui also recommended transfer of Kultar to “avoid any further embarrassment to the force”, but to no avail.
Around two-and-a-half month later, Hardip and his family committed suicide.
After Siddiqui retired in January 2005, DIG Gill submitted his inquiry report to new DGP SS Virk on May 7, 2005, indicting him for corruption.
Instead of taking an action on the DIG’S report, DGP Virk gave a clean chit to Kultar and also recommended his name for the President’s Police Medal in 2006. Virk certified that no judicial or departmental proceedings were pending against him.
On July 15, 2005, the Punjab government marked another inquiry to inspector general of police (computer & telecommunication). In June 2007, the then DGP asked the inspector general (confidential branch) to give the final report in favour of Kultar to the state government so that his pension case could be processed. Kultar retired on August 31, 2006.