Suspension-drug smuggler found “chinks in the armour” in police officers; facilitated illegal things
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
Punjab government on March 23,2021 suspended five police officers, including one IPS and four PPS officers in an infamous drug smuggling case, in which a former sarpanch and three others were arrested by the Ludhiana STF team, in the first week on November, last year. These officers helped Gurdeep Singh, in one or the other way, in the past.
Looking like a normal drug smuggling case in the starting, suddenly it become a high-profile case, after some police officers names crops in ,during the investigation by STF, after which the Punjab govt took a major decision and orders the suspension of one IPS and four PPS officers.
During investigation by the STF many revelations were made by the former sarpanch of village Rano, of Payal area in Ludhiana district, Gurdeep Singh who remained close aide of political and police officers, of the region. During their arrest, the STF recovered 5.39 kg heroin along with Rs 21 lakh ‘drug money’ near Jagraon. Police had said that a fleet of luxury cars and three weapons were also recovered from them. The seized heroin was worth around Rs 26 crore in the international market. The drug network was allegedly being run from Australia.
During investigation, STF found that “in just six years of becoming the sarpanch of Payal area’s Rano village, in Ludhiana district, Gurdeep Singh, the alleged kingpin built an assets more than 50 crores.
STF, in this high-profile drug smuggling case investigated thoroughly and observed that Gurdeep Singh has taken the advantage of some of the police officers as he found “chinks in the armour” in some of those police officers.
As per sources, during questioning by STF, Gurdeep Singh allegedly said that “some persons in the known, friendly circle had introduced him to the IPS officer who was then posted in Ludhiana range. Gurdeep Singh and that IPS officer came close who allegedly used to bear the expenses of the IPS officer and in lieu the IPS officer also allegedly helped Gurdeep Singh take possession of some prime land in Ludhiana along with two others. Gurdeep Singh alleged that the officer also accepted a bribe for some other issues. Gurdeep Singh has alleged that he was not only dealing with these police officers financially, but also facilitating the illegal demands made by the said IPS officer. As per the information Gurdeep also gave details about hotels and bills to prove that he had facilitated the meeting of the officer with women in Chandigarh and Ludhiana.
Suspension-drug smuggler found “chinks in the armour” in police officers; facilitated illegal things. On the involvement of other police officers, who were suspended a day before yesterday by the state government, STF in its investigation found that Gurdeep has has alleged that Sewa Singh Malhi, PPS, SP(D) Faridkot had accepted 2 lakh bribes from him, in a dispute over liquor vends, in which Sewa Singh Malhi was investigating the case. On the allegation levelled by Gurdeep Singh, Malhi has also been suspended.
Another police officer Parminder Singh Bath, PPS, DSP who was suspended by the state government after Gurdeep Singh made corruption allegation against him. In his allegation against Bath, Gurdeep Singh in his investigation revealed that he was into the real estate business in 2010-11 in Khanna and Parminder Singh Bath was SHO at Khanna police station at the time. Later Parminder Singh invested in Gurdeep Singh’s liquor vend business in 2012-13. Gurdeep Singh informed the investigation that “he kept his investment for two years and paid him around 50 percent profit of the total amount invested by Parminder Singh Bath and few amount is still pending, to be given to Bath, to settle the final accounts.”
On the involvement of Varinderjit Singh Thind, PPS in the case, Gurdeep Singh informed the investigation team that when he was president of the youth wing of a political party in 2015-16, Thind was posted as DSP Payal in Khanna district and he used to meet him, often. They both developed close relations. Gurdeep Singh alleged that he spent a good amount of money on the wedding of Varinderjit Singh’s brother, and claimed the cop would often use his car, also. He further alleged that Varinderjit invested few lakhs in his liquor vend business in the past and received a handsome profit in a year. Thind even provided, illegally, a gunman to Gurdeep Singh.
March 25,2021
