Two Panchkula cops held in mining scam

After the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed strictures, the Panchkula Police swung into action and arrested two persons in a mining scam. The scam surfaced in December 2024 as the local police unearthed a network of policemen and those involved in illegal mining, operating through WhatsApp groups. These groups were having several police officials as members, said a source.

“Mauli Barwala Traffic”, “Har Mahadev” and “Punjab Transport” WhatsApp groups are under scanner, as per one of the remand applications of the police.

A Home Guard Deepak Sharma was the middleman between police officials and illegal miners. The FIR was registered in December 2024 at the Chandimandir police station.

On Thursday, the local police produced head constable Nafe Singh and EHC Inderjeet before Panchkula court and brought them on remand. Their financial transactions are being looked into.

In a February 19 order, the High Court had stated: “In the status report, it has been mentioned that involvement of 82 persons has been found in the present case. Till date, 69 persons have been questioned by the police. However, shockingly, no person has been arrested so far. Even, the investigation in the present case has not made any headway and rather it appears that every attempt is being made to screen the senior police officers in the present case.”

The order further stated” “Still further, the allegations have been levelled with regard to the involvement of very senior officers of the police. Whereas, the matter was earlier investigated by an officer of rank of the Assistant Commissioner of Police and now on the query by the court, an officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police has been made the investigating officer of the present case.”

The order stated: “The Commissioner of Police, Panchkula is directed to remain present in the High Court on March 3 in the case.” ACP Vikram said, “We have two police officials and taken their remand. The investigation is under progress.” The two police officials were deputed in the Haryana State Enforcement Bureau.