Release of drug accused: Month on, IG yet to act against IPS colleague

BATHINDA: Bathinda range inspector general (IG) MS Chhina has been sitting for more than a month over a report against assistant inspector general (AIG) Gaurav Garg, a senior IPS officer, for the latter’s alleged role in the illegitimate release of an accused in a drug seizure case in March this year.

A special investigation team (SIT) has already indicted Garg and a PPS officer, superintendent of police (SP) Dharamvir, for “dereliction of duty” and “turning a blind eye to the facts” in the matter.

However, a regular departmental inquiry against Garg is still awaiting Chhina’s nod even as the Punjab Service Rules warrant immediate suspension of the indicted officer.

Garg and Dharamvir, during their tenure as SSP and SP respectively in Ferozepur, were indicted for the release of an accused booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after seizure of habit-forming pills and injections from him near Ferozepur in January this year.

On October 27, HT had published a report wherein the Bathinda IG was quoted as saying that he had sought comments on a report in this matter by Ferozepur range deputy inspector general (DIG) Rajinder Singh “before taking any (departmental) action” against the officer.

When contacted, IG Chhina put the onus on DIG Rajinder Singh. “The report from the DIG is still awaited,” he told HT on Friday. The DIG, on his part, passed the buck further. “I am also waiting for comments from Ferozepur SSP Bhupinder Singh,” he said. When pointed out that incumbent Ferozepur SSP is a junior of Garg, the DIG said, “SSP is SSP and he is bound to perform his duty.”

The drug case dates back to January 4 when accused Raj Kumar was arrested with the consignment of drugs from Sadiq Chowk near Ferozepur.

Two months after the arrest, SP Dharamvir drafted a cancellation report that was subsequently signed by SSP Garg and submitted in the Ferozepur district court for the release of accused on March 17. After the exposure of the cops’ misconduct, the accused was rearrested with the corrected version of the challan filed in the court.meanwhile, IG Chhina has also failed to take action against deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gurjit Singh Romana, who allegedly facilitated the release of another drug accused in a Bathinda case in April this year. “I have served him notice for the third time last week, but his reply is still awaited,” the IG told HT.

Romana, during his posting in Bathinda, had filed a cancellation report in a local court for the release of accused Gobind Gupta, a drug trader, on April 20, just ten days after his arrest. SSP Nanak Singh’s ‘preliminary’ inquiry had put the DSP, along with SSP Navin Singla, under the scanner. Singla was, however, given a clean chit in a follow-up probe by DIG Ashish Chaudhary.

PROBE TEAM INDICTED AIG GARG WHEN HE WAS FEROZEPUR SSP, ALONG WITH A PPS OFFICER