Ripples in police circles as DSP Romana joins

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 15

The Police Department is in a peculiar situation with new SSP Dr Nanak Singh taking charge, but along with him, ‘tainted’ DSP Gurjeet Singh Romana, who was indicted by the former in a probe for releasing an accused in a drug case, also joining duty in the city on Sunday.

Romana was shifted to Sangrur almost a year ago after being indicted in the probe.

While talking to The Tribune, IGP (Bathinda Range) MF Farooqui said, “In the inquiry, DSP Gurjeet Singh Romana was not found involved. It was a bona fide mistake, which was rectified, and the accused was arrested. The matter is going on in the court.”

He said now Romana had joined here and it was a new beginning.

Remaining tightlipped over the issue, SSP Dr Nanak Singh said, “The IGP has already commented on the issue and it will be inappropriate for me to comment after that. I stand by what the IGP has said.”

Last year, a case was registered at the Nehianwala police station on April 10 against Gobind Gupta of Goniana Mandi.

He was arrested with an illegal stock of over 1,500 habit-forming tablets. Gupta was, however, released within 10 days after an inquiry by the DSP gave him a clean chit.

When the matter came to the notice of Bathinda IG MS Chhina, he marked an inquiry to Faridkot SSP Dr Nanak Singh.

As per the probe report, the case was rightly registered against Gupta as the tablets were seized from his house and not his shop.

It stated that the inquiry was not properly conducted by the DSP as the police team that conducted the raid was not included in the probe and even investigating officer Sukhwinder Kaur’s statement was not recorded.

It was also found that that Romana did not even check the licence during the probe as in his first report, he had stated that the licence was issued in the name of Gobind Gupta, but it was issued in the name of M/s Ramesh Medical Store, owned by another person called Satish Kumar.