Accused agriculture officials on duty, but cops fail to trace them

Charanjit Bhullar

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 1

The police are reportedly going soft against two Agriculture Department officers named in the multi-crore pesticide scam.

The accused, both joint directors, are on duty at the department head office in Chandigarh, but the Bathinda police are unable to trace them.

Mangal Singh Sandhu, the then Director, Agriculture, was arrested on October 5 in view of his alleged involvement in the case.

Joint directors Nirankar Singh and Satwant Singh Brar were also named in the FIR. While Sandhu is lodged in Bathinda Central Jail, the two joint directors are “absconding” as per the Bathinda police. On October 17, a Bathinda court dismissed anticipatory bail plea of these accused. They also failed to get any reprieve from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. After remaining absent from duty for over one month, both have joined their duties.

Gurdial Singh, Director, Agriculture Department, confirmed that both officials had joined duties. He said while Nirnakar Singh retired from the service yesterday, Brar was reporting on duty at Chandigarh office. He denied having any knowledge of an FIR against both these officers. “I have not been told by the police about the registration of a case against these officers,” he claimed.

Sources say both officials remained absent from duty for about one month after the registration of the case. During this time, the police claimed to have conducted raids to nab them. No departmental proceedings have so far been initiated against them, they say.

Nalambri Vijay, AIG, Crime, refused to comment on the matter while IPS Sahota, ADGP, did not respond to the calls.

Sandhu is in Bhatinda Jail for 54 days. The police are yet to show his arrest Singh in the FIR registered at Mohali.

The sources say it was necessary to bring Sandhu from Bhatinda for investigation after getting his production warrant for probe into his involvement in the case registered at Mohali.