Amidst controversy over release of mastermind of Nabha jailbreak (Punjab) Gopi Ghanshyampura after taking a huge kickback, the State Government ordered a probe to look into the charges while Special Task Force (STF) issued a denial to the charges and termed it as an effort to malign the image of the elite force. Earlier, reports claimed that an IG rank officer collected Rs 45 lakh to facilitate the release of the accused.
Government spokesperson and Power minister Shrikant Sharma told reporters on Wednesday that a probe has been ordered and the guilty would not be spared.
“The Yogi Government has zero tolerance towards corruption and crime. Hence no one, whosoever he might be, would not be spared, if found guilty. An ADG has been asked to investigate the matter,” said Sharma.
As per reports, Gopi Ghanshyampura went missing from Shahjahenpur after one of the accused in Nabha jail break Harjinder Singh Bhullar alias Vicky Gond mentioned in his Facebook account that UP Police had arrested Gopi in Sahajahanpur some days back which was refused by the police. later, the Punjab Police lodged a complaint with UP Police brass when it was found that an IPS officer took Rs 45 lakh as bribe to let off the criminal. The incident was also under scrutiny by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Sources said that in the deal, a Congress leader from Sultanpur Sandeep Tiwari alias Pintu, whose relative in also an IG rank officer posted in lucknow, was involved. He was later arrested. later, two others Harjinder and Amandeep from Pilibhit were arrested and they too along with Pintu Tiwari admitted the involvement of the IPS officer in the incident.
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar too had confirmed that the Government had inputs about the incident through some newspaper reports and a probe was underway. "We cannot say anything till the probe is completed," he said. Meanwhile, Special Task Force (STF) denied any role in letting off criminal Gopi Ghanshyampura on whom the Punjab Police had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh.
Meanwhile in a statement issued in lucknow on Wednesday, IG STF, Amitabh Yash said that some newspapers in Punjab had wrongly circulated a news that UP STF had let off the main accused in the Nabha jail break.
"In this incident, no STF unit or team was involved in arresting or letting off the criminal. Such reports were an effort to malign the image of the STF. The information circulated by the media was derogatory," Yash further said.