Graft case: Inspector Sekhon demoted
In a major punishment, Inspector Harinder Sekhon has been demoted to the rank of Sub-Inspector (SI) by the UT Police following a departmental enquiry (DE).
The CBI had written to the Police Department to investigate Sekhon’s alleged involvement in a graft case following which a DE was conducted by a DSP-rank officer and Sekhon’s demotion was recommended.
As per the enquiry conducted by DSP Ram Gopal, Sekhon had held guilty of the charges.
One month to appeal
Inspector Harinder Sekhon can file an appeal as per provision of the Punjab Police Rules against the present order of punishment before the Appellate Authority within one month.
Assets case too
Earlier this year, the CBI had registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against Sekhon and his wife, Inspector Paramjit Kaur Sekhon, accusing them of amassing wealth more than their known sources of income.
The order issued by the SSP (Security and Traffic) Sumer Partap Singh states that after going through the enquiry file, relevant record and agreeing with the findings of the Inquiry Officer, a show-cause notice, dated December 16, proposing the punishment of reduction to rank of Sub-Inspector was issued to the Inspector. He had submitted the reply on December 23 and requested for personal hearing.
The order further states that an opportunity for personal hearing was given to the delinquent on December 24.
During the personal hearing, the SSP (Security and Traffic) heard the Inspector in person at length.
The order states that the Inspector reiterated the facts already mentioned by him in his reply.
“Further, I have gone through the reply submitted by the delinquent Inspector Harinder and also perused the relevant record available in the enquiry file. After taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances of the case the proposed punishment of reduction to rank of Sub-Inspector is hereby awarded to the delinquent Inspector Harinder,” states the order of SSP (Security and Traffic).
In July last year, Manish Dubey, the brother of BJP leader Anil Dubey, and Anil Goyal alias Kuki were arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh. Another accused, Head Constable Pawan, had escaped at the time.
The CBI complainant, Deepak, a resident of Ram Darbar, had alleged that Constable Pawan and Inspector Sekhon, then in-charge of the Operation Cell, had demanded Rs 7 lakh to exclude his name from an extortion case.
Following the allegations, Sekhon’s role had come under scanner and the CBI had written to the Police Department.
The CBI, however, had later given a clean chit to Sekhon and stated that they found no direct call or conversation of Sekhon with the complainant and the other accused.
Head Constable Pawan who had been absconding was arrested by the CBI in March, over seven months after being charged. He was subsequently dismissed from service.
