Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested Faridkot Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Lakhvir Singh for accepting Rs 10 lakh bribe from a drug supplier for not nominating him in the FIR registered under NDPS Act in Tarn Taran.
The arrest was made after the Tarn Taran district police had arrested a drug supplier, identified as Pishora Singh, from a petrol pump near Patti Morh after recovering 250 grams opium and Rs one lakh drug money from his possession on Sunday. Accused Pishora, a resident of Model Boparai village in Tarn Taran, was wanted in the FIR dated June 30, 2022, in which his aide Surjit Singh of Mari Megha village in Tarn Taran was arrested with 900 grams of opium.
Sharing details, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that during investigations by Tarn Taran Police, Surjit Singh revealed that he had purchased opium from Pishora, who is the main drug supplier.
“When Police started conducting raids to arrest him, Pishora tried to bribe Patti CIA in-charge by offering Rs seven-eight lakhs through ASI Rashpal Singh (posted as MHC CIA Patti), in lieu of not arresting and nominating him in this case, but the in-charge refused to accept the bribe,” said Yadav, adding that the Police teams continued their efforts to arrest Pishora.
Later, Pishora met Rashpal Singh’s brother Hira Singh through his acquaintance Nishan Singh of Sito village in Tarn Taran, and together they approached DSP Lakhvir, who also happened to be the cousin of Hira Singh, where the DSP negotiated the settlement at Rs 10 lakhs to help the drug supplier, said the DGP, adding that the accused DSP instructed Hira to keep the amount with him.
On the disclosure of Pishora Singh, the Police have also recovered Rs 9.97 lakhs from the house of Hira Singh, he said.
Reiterating the Punjab Government’s commitment to make Punjab a corruption-free state, DGP Yadav unequivocally said that any Police officer or official, found indulged in corruption, will not be spared.
Giving more details, Tarn Taran SSP Ranjit Singh Dhillon said that the Police have also nominated ASI Rashpal Singh, Nishan Singh, and Hira Singh in the FIR and raids are being conducted to nab them.
Meanwhile, sections 7, 7-A, and 8 (1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, sections 213, 214, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections 29 and 59 of the NDPS act have been added in the FIR, which was initially registered under sections 18,61,85 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Bhikiwind in Tarn Taran.