Fake alibi: Tarn Taran SSP says sorry for inaction

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 22

Less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the issuance of bailable arrest warrants against the Tarn Taran SSP for an attempt to circumvent judicial orders, the officer has apologised for a “serious lapse”.

The case pertains to non-initiation of criminal action, despite administrative indictment of police officers, over a fake alibi. During the resumed hearing of the case, SSP Darshan Singh Mann appeared before the Bench.

Taking a note of his apology, Justice Fateh Deep Singh said: “The conduct on his part is condoned and he stands discharged.” The developments took place on a petition by Dharminder Singh for pre-arrest bail in a case under the NDPS Act, registered in June 2014, at Sarai Amanat Khan police station in Amritsar district.

The police had corroborated the alibi of an alleged smuggler that he was with cops in a hotel near Chandigarh, but also recorded a cop’s statement that the accused fled from Tarn Taran after being intercepted by a police party.

The Bench was told that the FIR was registered on a tip-off regarding heroin smuggling through the international border with Pakistan. After a vehicle was intercepted, one Balkar Singh was apprehended, while Davinder Singh, Swaran Singh and Dharminder Singh allegedly fled. As the police failed to submit the challan within the prescribed period, Balkar was granted bail.

A departmental inquiry was ordered against officials responsible for the late presentation of the challan. Petitioner Dharminder Singh’s alibi was accepted — that he was in a hotel on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway along with Inspectors Jagbir Singh and Bhupinder Singh and DSP Tejinder Singh Virk that day.

Justice Rajan Gupta had said: “This court finds the stand of the investigating agency totally contradictory. Besides, it is inexplicable how on the day of the occurrence, officials of the Punjab Police were with Dharminder Singh, who is stated to be a criminal indulging in cross-border smuggling…”

The Bench was later told about the punishment orders against four cops. The Bench was also told that Inspector Jagbir Singh had been identified as a “guilty official” and named as an accused in the pending FIR.

The court then observed that the Inspector embroiled in the controversy was still on duty and drawing salary. The SSP was directed to explain non-initiation of criminal action despite administrative indictment of the officers.