Fake encounter row: suspended IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal never been away from controversies
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ December 10,2023
Recently, Punjab police have told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that “around 30 years ago the police encounter of Gurnam Singh Bandala was fake and stage managed by then SP (D) Paramraj Singh Umranangal (now IG) and two others and the FIR in the matter was registered for forging the facts.”
Paramraj Singh Umaranangal who managed the fake encounter was posted as SP (D) at Rupnagar. Umranangal along with Jaspal Singh , DSP (D) (at that time) and Gurdev Singh, incharge police post Lutheri (at that time) had killed Sukhpal Singh of Fatehgarh Churian Police station of Batala police district in Gurdaspur and shown that dreaded terrorist Gurman Singh Bandala was killed. Whereas Bandala was found alive.
The accused policemen had even taken gallantry award, cash reward for this murder and taken promotions in lieu of encounter.
IG Paramraj Singh Umaranangal who is suspended in Bargari firing case. He is under suspension since February 18,2019. He is due to retire on December 31,2025
Its alleged that Inspector General (IG) of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal, a 1995-batch IPS officer remained in controversies ever since he was inducted into the Punjab Police as deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in 1987 on compassionate grounds. He was even suspended when he was DIG, for over “for not performing his duties efficiently and creating indiscipline,” He has never been away from controversies.
Paramraj Singh Umranangal is the grandson of late Akali leader Jiwan Singh Umranangal, who had remained an MLA thrice. Taken into the state police after his brother was gunned down by terrorists, Paramraj Umranangal had cultivated relations with successive governments, and his proximity to former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini is well known within the force.
Another case that brought Umranangal infamy was in 2003, when he was the SSP at Patiala and booked singer Daler Mehndi and his brother on charges of human trafficking or illegally taking people abroad. Mehndi alleged that Umranangal had sought Rs 1.5 crore as bribe to release him, and he subsequently got bail after the police did not oppose his plea. He even conducted raids at Delhi, Mumbai to nab Daler Mehndi and was later transferred.
In 2014 Umranagal appeared before the enforcement directorate (ED) after drug peddler Raja Kandola, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in October 2012, has given a statement to Enforcement Directorate “that Paramraj Singh Umranangal (then Bathinda Inspector General of Police) is his “friends” who used to visit his farmhouses frequently”.
In another infamous 2012 Faridkot rape case, Paramraj Singh Umranangal , then DIG Faridkot released the photographs and a letter of a minor girl to the media in a press conference and declared that the girl has eloped. Disclosing an identity of a minor girl is an offence. Then in a face-saving exercise, the state government had transferred Paramraj Singh Umranangal.
Paramraj Singh Umranangal also remained in lime light for a fight over a bungalow at Posh Baradari in Patiala with ADGP Rohit Chaudhary, when he was posted as Inspector General of Police Patiala Zone.
Fake encounter row: suspended IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal never been away from controversies. In another controversy, it was alleged by Swaranjit Singh former personal assistant to Ajit Singh Poohla, the self proclaimed Jathedar of the Tarna Dal,Poohla that police officers Paramraj Umranangal and some other police officers frequently visited Ajit Singh Poohla and they all drank liquor together. Many times police officers asked Poohla to give them some people so they could kill them to show police encounters. Poohla did this so his police officers friends could get higher ranks and then provide support to Poohla in return. For these favors, Poohla received weapons, tractors, automobiles, jeeps, etc. from police officers. Any illegal drugs that were seized were sent to Poohla in government vehicles. On August 28,20028 Poohla’s uncountable crimes were avenged by Navtej Singh Guggu and Harchand Singh. They set Ajit Singh Poohla on fire. He got between 70-80% burnt. He died next day.
