Less than a week after terminating the services of PPS officer and former Moga SSP Raj Jit Singh on the basis of SIT reports in the drugs menace case, the Punjab Government has decided to go deep into the roles of all officers ‘however highly placed they may be’.
In a communiqué, the Department of Home Affairs and Justice has asked the State Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to initiate inquiry into the roles of all officers, including the top-ranking officers, who recommended promotion and extended favours to the dismissed cop Inderjit Singh also indicted in the reports.
Besides, the ‘dismissed’ cop, Raj Jit Singh, has also been booked for “criminal conspiracy” with another drug-tainted dismissed cop Inderjit Singh and for framing the incorrect record with intent to save him from punishment besides indulging in extortion. A look out circular has also been issued against Raj Jit.
That was not all! The state Home Department has also directed the Vigilance Bureau to register a disproportionate assets case against Raj Jit and to complete its investigation within a month’s time.
Acting on the directions, the state DGP Gaurav Yadav has deputed the Additional DGP RK Jaiswal to conduct the inquiry.
The government orders, issued through the Special Secretary (Home), specifically stated that it was not possible for a low-rank ORP Inspector to run such a huge network of extortion and drug trafficking alone.
“Action should be taken against the Senior Officers who approved transfers, promotions or grant of Local Rank to Inderjit Singh (Dismissed ORP Inspector) on the recommendations of Raj Jit Singh PPS. For identification of such Senior Officers, relevant files should be sent to the Government by 4 pm tomorrow,” it added.
The Home Secretary also said that it appears from the investigation conducted by SIT that Inderjit Singh (dismissed ORP Inspector) was favorite of many Police Officers. Therefore, “please report within three days as to whether any other SSP or IPS officer had requested for posting of Inderjit Singh with him. This is being issued with the approval of the Chief Minister”.
The orders have also asked the state police chief to nominate Raj Jit Singh in June 12, 2017, FIR, registered against Inderjit Singh by the then ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu led STF on drugs.
The DGP has also been asked to depute a senior IPS officer to conduct investigation into the FIR, registered under sections 59(2)(b) of the NDPS Act; sections 218, 466, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), at the Police Station, Special Task Force, SAS Nagar.
The orders maintained that while conducting the investigation, “all the three reports of SIT should be taken into account”.
It added that the Investigating Officer should “examine the role of all concerned Police officers, howsoever highly placed they may be, who have directly or indirectly helped in drug trafficking or smuggling”.
Besides, the Investigating Officer should be directed to conclude the investigation within a month and submit the report.
The series of action came after the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann acted on the three Special Investigation Team (SIT) reports on the police-drug mafia nexus recently opened by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Former Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh Hundal was dismissed from service recently and a vigilance probe was ordered into assets allegedly amassed by him by selling narcotics.
“We won’t spare anyone involved in drugs. After opening the sealed cover reports, Raj Jit Singh was booked and has been dismissed from service. The vigilance bureau has been asked to probe the wealth he amassed by selling ‘chitta (heroin)’,” the Chief Minister had tweeted on Tuesday.
Raj Jit Booked for Criminal Conspiracy
In more troubles to the “dismissed” Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG), the Punjab Police have booked Raj Jit Singh for criminal conspiracy with another dismissed cop Inderjit Singh and “for framing incorrect record with intent to save a person (Inderjit) from punishment, besides indulging in extortion”. Raj Jit has been nominated in the FIR lodged against Inderjit by the Special Task Force on drugs on the charges of drugs smuggling and tampering with recoveries. Following the Punjab Government orders, the STF has nominated Raj Jit in the same FIR. Sections 120 B, 218 and 384 of the IPC besides sections 59 and 39 of the NDPS Act have been imposed on him. The STF have also issued a look out circular against Raj Jit Singh.
Complete probe within a month: Govt to VB
Directing the state Vigilance Bureau to register a disproportionate assets case against the dismissed PPS officer Raj Jit Singh, the state Home Department has asked the Bureau to complete its investigation within a month. The vigilance probe against Raj Jit was initiated on the baiss of evidence in the three SIT reports.
“SIT has suggested an enquiry into the disproportionate assets of Raj Jit Singh. Therefore, copies of reports of SIT are being sent to you for registration of case of accumulation of disproportionate assets against Raj Jit Singh under section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988,” stated a letter issued by the Home Department to the Vigilance Bureau read.
It added, “The reports of the SIT suggest that innocent persons were falsely implicated for extorting money from them. Therefore, you are asked to register an FIR u/s 7, 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 59 of NDPS [Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances] Act and other relevant provisions of law against Raj Jit Singh and Inderjit Singh (dismissed ORP inspector). Investigation in this case should be completed within a month.”
The SIT, formed in 2017, had the mandate to probe allegations of complicity of Raj Jit Singh, the then Moga SSP in respect of his alleged association with dismissed ORP (own rank and pay) inspector Inderjit Singh, who was later dismissed from service following the recovery of drugs by a special task force (STF) in 2017.
