Taking a U-turn, Punjab director common of police (DGP) VK Bhawra has withdrawn the orders to register a case beneath the NDPS Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act towards two former deputy inspectors common of police (prisons) for allegedly disposing of medicine seized from Ferozepur jail inmates at their very own degree with out informing larger authorities.

Also learn: Punjab and Haryana high court stays arrest of Kumar Vishwas

The DGP had accredited motion towards the 2 former DIGs of the jail division, Lakhminder Singh Jakhar and Sukhdev Singh Saggu, following an inquiry by the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) final December. Following the DGP’s approval, the Ferozepur senior superintendent of police (SSP), Charanjit Singh Sohal, had directed the Ferozepur metropolis station home officer (SHO) to register a primary info report (FIR). However, the case has taken a U-turn.

Jakhar is a detailed relative of Aam Aadmi Party Atam Nagar MLA Kulwant Singh Sidhu. Jakhar and Saggu had been indicted by the inquiry carried out the BOI’s inspector common (IG) Gautam Cheema. The probe report concluded that towards 241 seizures of intoxicants and cell phones from inmates, the DIGs allegedly reported just one incident to the police. The matter pertains to the interval between 2005 and 2011 once they had been posted as jail superintendents at Ferozepur.

Following indictment, each Jakhar and Saggu requested DGP Bhawra to evaluation his determination because the inquiry officer did not file their statements. They claimed that they had not been given a good probability to counter the levelled by complainant Karamjit Singh Bhullar, the assistant superintendent of the jail.

Cheema was requested to conduct the inquiry on October 22, 2021, and he submitted his report back to the DGP on December 12, 2021.

“The IG has submitted a report in which it has been concluded that the levelled in complaint are proved. It has been found that the drugs seized from jail inmates were disposed by Jakhar and Saggu at their own level without informing the higher authorities or the police during their posting as superintendent, Central Jail, Ferozepur,” learn the letter of the BOI director to the Ferozepur SSP on April 6.

The offenses made out in case are beneath Sections 120-B, 409 and 217 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 18, 21, 22, 25 and 27-A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Section 61 of the Punjab Excise Act , Section 13(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“The DGP has approved the registration of an FIR against the former DIGs and other unknown persons after obtaining a fresh complaint from Bhullar and investigating the case as per law,” learn the letter, asking the SSP to tell the workplace after taking motion.

On April 12, the SSP requested the SHO (City) to take vital motion.

However, earlier than the FIR was registered, the DGP workplace referred to as again the file and sought the complete BOI file.

DGP Bhawra feigned ignorance concerning the case and stated: “I don’t recall but will let you after verifying it.” After that he neither responded to cellphone calls for 2 days nor replied to the SMS.

Confirming the event, SSP Charanjit Singh stated: “As senior officials wrote to send back the file, we have sent the record to the office concerned. No FIR has been registered so far.”