The mixed investigative expertise of the Punjab Police have didn’t ship in terms of nabbing its personal officers or influential businessmen who’re accused of significant crimes and are on the run.
At his year-end press convention on the power’s efficiency, the Inspector Basic of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill lauded the police’s efforts in fixing high-profile crimes however was mum on the failure to arrest dismissed assistant inspector basic (AIG) Raj Jit Singh Hundal, who has been on the run for over two years.
Equally, there was no phrase on the power’s incapacity to find dismissed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Gursher Singh Sandhu who allegedly facilitated the TV interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi whereas in police custody. He was additionally booked for forgery and corruption.
In August 2024, Punjab Police was left red-faced when absconding actual property businessman Jarnail Singh Bajwa was discovered watching the proceedings of his case within the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket by way of video conferencing whilst Director Basic of Police Gaurav Yadav advised the court docket that the police had been unable to hint him.
The obvious laxity proven by the power within the aforementioned instances has drawn sharp criticism particularly as a result of it has solved heinous crimes inside days, together with finding three folks — who have been accused of throwing a grenade at a police outpost in Punjab — in Uttar Pradesh earlier this 12 months. The boys succumbed later following an encounter.
Whereas former AIG Hundal was dismissed on April 17, 2023, DSP Sandhu, who’s alleged to have fled overseas, was faraway from service on June 2. Each accused have managed to evade arrest whilst Hundal approached the excessive court docket and the Supreme Court docket to safe bail.
The police have been unable to even serve a show-cause discover to Gursher Singh Sandhu previous to his dismissal and needed to paste the identical outdoors his home. His dismissal order emphasised that the officer’s misconduct, negligence, and dereliction of responsibility throughout Bishnoi’s interview custody severely broken the police division’s picture.
Following his suspension earlier, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau additionally initiated an inquiry into allegations of disproportionate belongings and disputed property dealings towards him.
Former AIG Raj Jit Singh Hundal joined the Punjab Police in 1992 as an inspector and was even awarded the President’s Medal for meritorious service in 2013. He has since been accused of operating drug and extortion rackets. He was dismissed after the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket opened sealed studies from a Particular Investigation Crew (SIT) which implicated him in these actions. His identify additionally surfaced in a drug trafficking case alongside dismissed police inspector Inderjit Singh.
Hundal sought anticipatory bail a number of instances however confronted setbacks, together with the rejection of his bail plea by the excessive court docket in October 2023. Nonetheless, he was granted interim safety from arrest in some situations whereas the courts deliberated on his instances. In July 2024, a Mohali court docket declared him a Proclaimed Offender (PO) in a disproportionate belongings case.
In his bail pleas, Hundal claims he belongs to a good household of martyrs who laid down their lives for the nation. His father, a police officer, was attacked by militants and he had additionally misplaced his his mom and sister. His brother-in-law, who had served within the Armed forces, was martyred by the hands of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.
Absconding accused discovered watching court docket proceedings
Actual property tycoon Jarnail Singh Bajwa’s case was being heard within the court docket of Justice Sandeep Moudgil within the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket in August 2024 when the DGP stated in an affidavit that regardless of all efforts, together with raids carried out in any respect suspected locations, the needed accused was untraceable.
Nonetheless, the court docket workers realised that Bajwa was monitoring the court docket proceedings on-line. “Confronted with the embarrassing scenario, Gaurav Yadav, Director-Basic of Police, Punjab, candidly admitted the failure and laxity of the legislation imposing company on this facet,” Justice Sandeep Moudgil stated in his detailed order.
Bajwa was subsequently arrested and granted bail in December 2024 with instructions to furnish bail bonds of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties of the identical quantity to the satisfaction of the Obligation Justice of the Peace. Moreover, he was ordered to plant ten saplings inside 15 days and submit photographic proof to the trial court docket.
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