Left red-faced after the “selected leakage” of a letter written by Punjab police’s top official probing the contentious drugs case, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday ordered an investigation in the matter.
“How the letter was leaked and why only a selected part was made public, it will be looked into…An FIR will be filed in the leakage, and a thorough investigation will be carried out,” said the Chief Minister, while addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting.
The Government is also considering to replace Asthana as head of the Bureau of Investigation. Notably, Asthana is the third chief of the Bureau of Investigation appointed by the Channi Government in the last two months.
“We will decide whether we need a new Bureau of Investigation head considering the length of Asthana’s medical leave,” said the state Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.
Randhawa maintained that the state’s cyber ell has been asked to look into how Asthana’s confidential letter got leaked.
Amidst continuous pressure by the Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu to make public the contents of the “sealed” STF report and arrest SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the Channi Government was stunned by the leakage of the “confidential” letter written by the state Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Punjab’s Bureau of Investigation head SK Asthana to the officiating DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, raising questions over the ongoing probe into the high-profile drug case in the State.
Asthana, who is currently on medical leave, had highlighted “legal hurdles” in conducting the reinvestigation in the drugs cases against a senior Akali leader. In his letter, Asthana has raised eight “questions” regarding the drug racket probe. Available information suggests that the letter was written by ADGP Asthana on December 11, before proceeding on medical leave. Astnana, in his 40-page letter to DGP Sahota, pointed out that no investigation or reinvestigation could be carried out against the Akali leader without permission of the High Court.
Asthana raised questions over the earlier SIT probe being conducted by senior officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu pointing that he should have recused himself from any probe involving the leader as both were related. The reference has been made to the senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who was facing allegations of being involved in the drugs racket.
The senior cop has also questioned the significance of the “three statements recorded by the Enforcement Directorate to further investigate the role of Bikram Singh Majithia, especially when the Enforcement Directorate itself chose not to proceed against him”.
Sidhu has all along been taking on his own party’s government, pressing upon the State Government to make public the contents of the STF report, filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018.
ASTHANA’s QUESTIONS
Asthana, in his letter, raised eight questions
1. Can further investigation be ordered in cases where trials have already been concluded?
2. Can reinvestigation or further investigation be carried out in these cases by any other officer except the SIT appointed by Hon’ble High Court
3. Would ordering further investigation in these cases not amount to completely ignoring the directions of Hon’ble High Court in CWP No. 88 of 2014
4. Would it be legally tenable to act upon the report of the Head, STF, when the same lies sealed in custody of the Hon’ble High Court
5. Would it be lawful to act upon the report of the Head, STF, when the same has already been superseded or merged with the subsequent report of the committee constituted by the State of Punjab consisting of then DGP and Additional Chief Secretary (Department of Home Affairs and Justice)
6. Was Harpreet Sidhu, STF head, entitled to inquire about the alleged role of Bikram Singh Majithia despite having family relations
7. What is the weight of the three statements recorded by the Enforcement Directorate to further investigate the role of Bikram Singh Majithia, especially when the Enforcement Directorate itself chose not to proceed against him
8. Can the latest legal advice of the learned Advocate General be relied upon in the light of the fact that the same may be completely contradictory or in consonance to the previous legal advice/s tendered by former Advocate General/s, Punjab especially when this case has been deliberated upon since a long period of time.”