Phagwara: No new staff posted, CIA office remains locked after officials held on graft charge

More than 14 days after the local CIA office was locked as all the staff was suspended on corruption charges, no new CIA inspector has been posted yet. The arrested officers include CIA in-charge sub-inspector Bisman Singh, ASIs Nirmal Kumar and Jaswinder Singh and Head Constable Jagroop Singh. They were arrested on May 23 after an internal investigation indicated that they accepted a Rs 2.5 lakh bribe to facilitate the release of Sukhwinder Singh, alias Hani, a resident of Kaanshi Nagar, who had been held on suspicion of drug trafficking and sent to judicial custody,.

The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Phagwara was found locked and non-operational today morning also, following the arrest of its entire staff on serious corruption charges. The closure, which has temporarily disrupted a key law enforcement unit, comes in the wake of a bribery case involving the alleged release of a suspected drug smuggler.

The CIA office appeared abandoned today, with its gates locked and no staff present. Sources confirmed that a single lady cop remaining in the CIA office had been posted in another branch pending investigation, and no new appointments had yet been made. This marks a highly unusual situation, raising questions about continuity in local crime control efforts.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora addressed the development, reaffirming the department’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on corruption. “We are taking swift and strict action to ensure accountability. The CIA office will soon be staffed with a new team so that the public does not face any disruption in crime response services,” he stated.

The temporary closure of the CIA office has led to concern among residents and civic groups, particularly given the state’s ongoing efforts to combat organised crime and drug trafficking. Many have called for stronger internal oversight mechanisms and greater transparency within law enforcement agencies.

SSP Toora has assured that the legal proceedings against the arrested officers will follow due process, and the wider inquiry will determine if more individuals were involved.