Punjab Govt suspended controversial IG of Punjab Police
Jasbir Kapoor/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
IG Paramraj Singh Umaranangal who was arrested by the Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Punjab Police headquarters, Chandigarh on February 18, 2019, in connection with the 2015 Kotakpura firing case, is suspended by Punjab Govt.
As per the rules”A Government servant who is detained in custody under any law providing for preventive detention or a result of a proceeding either on a criminal charge or for his arrest for debt shall if the period of detention exceeds 48 hours and unless he is already under suspension, be deemed to be under suspension from the date of detention until further orders as contemplated in rule 10 (2) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965”.
“The department has already suspended the Inspector General of Punjab Police Paramraj Singh Umranangal as he remained in Police Custody for more than 48 hours” confirmed an IG rank officer of Punjab Police.
A Faridkot court on Tuesday ha sent the inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal to judicial custody for 14 days and he was shifted to the Patiala Central jail.
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 son 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 has 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 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 another infamous Bhola Drug Case ,drug lord Raja Kandola, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in October 2012,Kandola, in his statement to Enforcement Directorate, had said that Paramraj Singh Umranangal (then Bathinda Inspector General of Police) is his “friends” who used to visit his farmhouses frequently.
In another infamous 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 transfers Paramraj Singh Umranangal.
Paramraj Singh Umranangal also remained in lime light for a fight over a bungalow at Posh Baradari with ADGP Rohit Chaudhary, when he was posted as Inspector General of Police Patiala Zone.
He even received a gallantry medal and cash reward for “killing terrorist Gurnam Singh Bandala”, which was not killed and was alive. The controversy about Bandala killing came in to light when after several years, the family of Sukhpal, a native of Kala Afghana village took away by Majithia Police District on the pretext of some investigation and Sukhpal had been killed in his place (Bandala) by Umranangal and his team. For this the then DGP NPS Aulakh ordered a probe in 2007 on the complaint received from Colonel (retd) GS Sandhu of NGO Apna Punjab and the Majha Ex-Servicemen Human Rights Front.
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, 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
