Seven cops from Amritsar district, including two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs), have been booked for corruption and criminal conspiracy by Punjab Vigilance Bureau, on the basis of video evidence. Of them, four accused cops have been arrested in a strict action against the police force indulging in the corrupt practices.
The Bureau on Tuesday registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy charges against seven police officials of Chattiwind Police Station in Amritsar district.
Going into the background of the case, the Bureau spokesperson said: “The case has been registered on an enquiry conducted by Amritsar range. As per the case, Avtar Singh and Kanwalpreet Singh of Chattiwind village were running Raj Khalsa Kheti Store. On August 22, 2018, a person namely Gurharpreet Singh of the same village damaged the CCTV camera installed outside their store. Following which, Kanwalpreet along with Baldev Singh, Sukhwant Singh, and others reached outside the house of the accused Gurharpreet Singh.”
“After this, Gurharpreet Singh, along with other accomplices attacked Kanwalpreet Singh, Baldev Singh, and Sukhwant Singh, and fled away after inflicting them injuries,” said the spokesperson adding that an FIR, under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon), 427 (mischief causing damage), 148 (rioting), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Gurharpreet and others.
During the inquiry, the police added section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of IPC against the accused in the same case.
Later, the accused cops — Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Mahinder Singh, ASI Kuldeep Singh (now deceased), head constable Palwinder Singh, HC Ram Singh, Constable Rajbir Singh, Constable Harpinder Singh, Constable Palwinder Singh, and Punjab Home Guard Lata Singh — had taken a bribe of Rs 65,000 on various occasions from the complainant Baldev’s brother Sukhdev Singh, who has video evidence against the erring cops.
During the investigation on the complaint submitted by the complainant to VB, the bribery charges against the above mentioned cops were found to be genuine and the Bureau has arrested Head Constable Ram Singh, Constable Palwinder Singh, Constable Harpinder Singh, and Punjab Home
Guard Lata Singh after registering case against them, the spokesperson said.
Raids were on to arrest the remaining accused, said the spokesperson adding that the departmental action would also be initiated against them.