Charges framed against ex-cop, lawyer for planting drugs, fake currency in car

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 14

A local court framed charges against a former UT police inspector and an advocate in a case involving planting of narcotics and fake currency in a vehicle of a resident. The court framed charges under Sections 18 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Sections 489 (tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury), 201 ( tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury), 212 (harbouring offender) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against retired cop Tarsem Singh Rana and advocate Jatin Salwan.

They were arrested for allegedly planting 2.6 kg of opium and fake currency worth Rs 15 lakh in the car of Bhagwan Singh, an accountant, who was arrested by the police last year, near Maloya. Tarsem, a resident of Sector 26, Salwan of Sector 15, and the third accused Narender, a native of Ludhiana, were arrested later after it was found that they had planted the material.

Narender and Gurnihal Singh Peerjada, a retired IAS officer, had a property dispute case with Sukhbir Singh Shergill. The three accused allegedly asked Shergill to come or send someone to receive a case file so that the case could be disposed of. He sent his accountant Bhagwan to collect the same. However, the accused allegedly put the cash and drugs in his car and later informed the police. These were recovered from between the files placed on the rear seat of the car.

Nayagaon resident Bhagwan was arrested in Maloya on June 16, last year with cash and drugs. However, during investigations, call records of all persons involved in the case were checked. The police found that the three had allegedly planned to get Bhagwan and his boss Shergill trapped. A case was then registered at the Maloya police station. Tarsem was earlier arrested by the Panchkula police for helping a fake Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. Tarsem’s sons were also involved in robberies and one of his sons was murdered in Amritsar in 2014.

The case

Retired cop Tarsem Singh Rana and advocate Jatin Salwan were arrested for allegedly planting 2.6 kg of opium and fake currency Rs 15 lakh in fake currency in the car of Bhagwan Singh, an accountant, who was arrested by the police last year with the fake currency and drugs, near Maloya. Tarsem, a resident of Sector 26, Salwan of Sector 15, and the third accused Narender, a native of Ludhiana, were arrested later after it was found that they had planted the material.