Asthana letter leak: Cyber Cell lodges FIR

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 20

Five days after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi ordered police action into the Asthana letter leak case, the Cyber Cell of the state police today registered an FIR regarding the leakage of an official letter by ADGP-cum-Director, Bureau of Investigation, SK Asthana to then DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.

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The over 40-page letter written by Asthana to the DGP listed legal hurdles in the way of opening a fresh probe of drugs smuggling against a senior Akali leader. However, four pages of the letter, containing relevant points supporting the Akali leader, were leaked. The FIR has been registered under Section 72, IPC, and Section 72, Information Technology Act, 2000, against unknown persons.

The complainant is listed as an AIG-rank officer with the Bureau of Investigation. The FIR said the letter, regarding the notes in an important drugs case, was leaked on social media sites. It further said it was a criminal conspiracy with malicious intention to leak selective contents from the letter to derail action against drugs mafia.

The probe will be carried out by the Cyber Cell police station, Mohali, as the Bureau of Investigation cannot carry out investigation against its own officials, clarified a senior official.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who holds the home portfolio, also told The Tribune that he had asked the Punjab DGP to supervise the investigation. “The letter was between two top officers of the department and hence the head of the state force should supervise the investigation,” said Randhawa.