Cop nabbed for illegally detaining drug suspects

Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on Monday arrested SI Gurmeet Singh, head of its Ludhiana unit. He allegedly illegally detained two drug suspects, Charanjeet Singh and Ranbir Singh, residents of Patiala, and falsified facts about the opium seizure.

Snehdeep Sharma, AIG, STF, Ludhiana range, in a statement issued said Gurmeet apprehended the drug suspects in Patiala district, illegally confining them overnight. The next day, Gurmeet claimed the arrest and 600 gm of opium recovery was made in Ludhiana. A probe is underway to determine if the recovered drugs were genuine or planted. The authorities are scrutinising Gurmeet’s actions, citing wrongful confinement, criminal conspiracy and violations of the NDPS Act. Two private persons, Narinder Singh and Avtar Singh, were also booked in the case for allegedly conniving with the SI in the matter.

Gurmeet was booked under multiple charges, including Sections 127-2 and 61-2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 59(2) of the NDPS Act. The case is a significant blow to the police force’s efforts to combat drug trafficking.