DSP’s plea on turning approver in drugs case to come up on January 23 in Tarn Taran court

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Amritsar, January 8

A Tarn Taran court has fixed January 23 as the next date of hearing in connection with an application filed by suspended DSP Lakhbir Singh Sandhu to turn approver in a corruption and drugs case, in which the Vigilance had named DIG Inderbir Singh as accused in July last year. The case came up for hearing today.

Perpetrators should face action

The investigation over my role in these cases has not been done professionally and I’m not being given justice. The evidences brought by me on record have not even been considered by the VB. Inderbir Singh, DIG

The DSP was a co-accused in the case. He had recently submitted an application for turning approver in the case that pertains to the alleged release of a drug peddler by the DIG after taking bribe. The incident occurred in June 2022 when the DSP was arrested by the Tarn Taran police under the NDPS and the Prevention of Corruption Acts.

The case was later handed over to the Vigilance and a three-member SIT comprising the SSPs of Ferozepur and Amritsar and a VB member was formed. Lakhbir said that he had put forth the facts before the court and it was up to it to decide now.

The case dates back to June 30, 2022, when the Bhikhwind police had arrested Surjit Singh of Mari Megha village for allegedly possessing 900 gm of opium. His interrogation led to the arrest of Pishora Singh. Later, during a probe, the police nabbed the then Faridkot DSP, Lakhbir Singh, on corruption charge. He was accused of taking a bribe of Rs 10 lakh for letting off Pishora in an FIR.

DIG Inderbir’s name cropped up during the interrogation of the DSP, who had alleged that he was acting on the former’s directions. Besides Lakhbir, Surjit and Pishora, the VB had arrested Heera Singh of Dubli village in Tarn Taran. ASI Rashpal Singh was also booked in the FIR registered under the NDPS Act and Prevention of Corruption Act in July 2022.

In another case, Lakhbir along with the then DIG’s reader Barjinder Singh were booked by Tarn Taran police for alleged extortion of Rs 23 lakh from SI Baljinder Singh for not implicating him in a drug case in July 2022. The DIG was named as co-accused in this case also.

The DIG had earlier refuted the charges, terming it baseless. “I’ve always fully cooperated in the investigation and have submitted my detailed written statements along with the documentary evidences proving my innocence in both cases. I’ve only acted legally in the capacity of DIG of Ferozepur Range,” said the DIG.

He added that “Mere version of the complainant (Baljinder) and accused (Lakhbir) is being believed without any independent corroboration and the latter’s version, against whom main allegations have been levelled, is also being trusted without any documentary evidence. By turning an approver, he is just trying to shift the blame on me.” He claimed that Baljinder had lied regarding his positive dope test as well his so called ‘detention’ and has given a false affidavit and false statement u/s 164 to the court.