Congress MP Surjewala backs dismissed Kaithal Head Constable

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala has come out in support of Sunil Sandhu, the Head Constable of Kaithal police, who was dismissed for alleged indiscipline and violating the NDPS Act during a raid.

“Sandhu is not only a responsible police officer but is also active in the ‘Nasha Mukt Haryana’ campaign and other social causes. His dismissal is completely unfair. The BJP has acted without a proper inquiry. Removing a police officer without due process reflects that there is no space left in the state for social participation along with public service,” read Surjewala’s post on X.

On February 16, a team led by Sandhu carried out a search but allegedly failed to follow the mandatory NDPS guidelines. As per the Act, searches must be conducted in the presence of a gazetted officer, and proper documentation, including a Daily Diary Report (DDR), must be registered on the spot. The operation violated Sections 50 and 42 of the NDPS Act.

In addition to violating the NDPS Act, Sandhu was dismissed for using social media to voice grievances instead of the department platform, said Superintendent of Police (SP) Upasana. An inquiry into the raid had been assigned to DSP Gurvinder Singh. However, the matter escalated when Sandhu posted a video on Facebook accusing another DSP of threatening to implicate him in a fabricated narcotics case. The SP assigned the inquiry into his allegations against a DSP to another DSP. Before the completion of the inquiry, the SP claimed, Sandhu continued to use social media platforms to defame the police force and accuse police officers without any evidence. The SP said the Head Constable violated provisions 14.8 and 14.44 of the Punjab Police Rules and exhibited gross misconduct and indiscipline. His conduct falls under Rule 16.2(1) of the Punjab Police Rules, she added.