AC as ‘bribe for ADCP’ kicks up row

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana June 15

The Police Department again finds itself in the centre of a controversy with an an interesting development coming to the fore today.

The Station House Officer (SHO) of police division 2, Jaswinder Singh, allegedly asked a complainant to arrange for an air-conditioner (AC) for the Additional DCP (ADCP), if he wanted the inquiry report in his favour.

Considering the demand, the complainant bought a one-ton AC and shifted it to the ADCP’s house in Raj Guru Nagar.

Some senior Congress leaders, including an MLA from Ludhiana, reportedly called up Police Commissioner RN Dhoke and informed him of the “cheap” act of the SHO.

Kamaljot Singh Chinu, relative of NRI Adarshpal Kaur, residing in the USA, said Adarshpal had filed a complaint of forgery and cheating against some persons before the police commissioner on April 24 and the inquiry was marked to police division 2. “Despite visiting the police station repeatedly, SHO Jaswinder did not pay heed to our complaint. He was deliberately dilly-dallying about the probe on one pretext or the other.”

“We had approached some Congress leaders who called up a senior police official and asked him to file a report, still he did not care about it,” Chinu said.

Then on May 29, when they again visited the police station and asked about the status of their complaint, the SHO replied: “If you can arrange an air-conditioner for the ADCP, he will file the inquiry report in you favour.” The complainant said they were already fed up with the lethargic approach of the police, so accepted his offer and bought an AC.

The SHO’s official vehicle picked up the AC (Tribune has copy of the bill) from Sandhu Electronics which was then installed at the ADCP’s house in Raj Guru Nagar. To everyone’s surprise, within a week of providing the AC to the SHO, an inquiry report was filed at the ACP Central office and an FIR reportedly recommended against the shopkeepers,” Chinu revealed.

Now the said report is lying in the ACP’s office and no action has been taken. The SHO might not have submitted the report in their favour, he said.

What CP says

"I have not received any complaint of bribing the SHO with an AC. When I verified from SHO Jaswinder, he said he had given Rs 10,000 in down payment to the electronics showroom owner and the rest of the amount he had assured to pay after sometime. If I get any complaint, I will order an inquiry and take action against the SHO if found guilty." — RN Dhoke

SHO refutes charges

"I have paid Rs 10,000 advance for buying in the AC and the remaining Rs 11,000 is to be paid later. Allegations levelled by the complainant against me are baseless. I had not bought the AC for the ADCP's house, rather I bought it for my friend's house." — Jaswinder Singh, Station House Officer