Corrupt officials on my radar: CP

LUDHIANA: Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Commissioner of Police, who took stiff action of giving premature compulsory retirement to three traffic police personnel, two ASIs Davinder Singh and Kulwinder Singh, and one Head Constable (a clerk at traffic thana) Neelkanth, said he had planned a complete overhauling of Ludhiana Commissionerate.

Traffic police personnel gather at the Police Lines in Ludhiana on Wednesday after the Commissioner of Police gave premature compulsory retirement to two ASIs and one Head Constable. Tribune Photo: Himanashu Mahajan

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 22

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Commissioner of Police, who took stiff action of giving premature compulsory retirement to three traffic police personnel, two ASIs Davinder Singh and Kulwinder Singh, and one Head Constable (a clerk at traffic thana) Neelkanth, said he had planned a complete overhauling of Ludhiana Commissionerate.

“As per my internal intelligence, there are some corrupt police officials who are resorting to corrupt practices in the Police Department. I will take action against them with evidence. There is no space for corruption in policing,” the CP said.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had assumed charge in Ludhiana on March 16. Immediately after taking over, he announced delimitation of all 28 police stations. He had also announced that no challans would be issued for a month as a goodwill gesture.

“I have planned a complete overhauling of Commissionerate. The entire staff of the city police, including the traffic staff, are going to be reshuffled. They will be assigned duties as per their core strength, age factor, and other capabilities. The purpose is to utilise the force in a better way,” he revealed.

When asked why three traffic police personnel were given premature retirement, he said, ASIs Davinder and Kulwnider set up a naka at Ghumar Mandi to challan traffic offenders, and this was despite his clear instructions that no challaning would be done for a month. Head Constable Neelkanth was resorting to corrupt practices in the Police Department due to which he also faced action. “They challaned a Sikh girl which the traffic police cannot do as the instruction of the court say so. They also told the girl that the CP (me) had instructed them to not spare Sikhs and challan them. They all did this in connivance with an IG rank officer, who wanted to replace me as Ludhiana CP. The matter was given a religious colour,” he said, quipping that he wrote a book on Sant Kabir and he had been posted in Amritsar, the holy city. He could not disrespect any religion, he added.

Traffic police personnel express resentment

Traffic policeman expressed resentment over premature retirement given to three police personnel. They alleged it was a harsh punishment. They said the police personnel could have been suspended but they should not have been given compulsory retirement.