Faridkot dera head moves HC, seeks CBI probe in ‘bribery’ case involving IGP

Dera Baba Harka Dass head in Faridkot, Sant Gagan Dass, has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the transfer of the probe from the Vigilance Bureau (VB) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing “serious lapses and shielding of the IGP”.

The case originates from the FIR, dated June 2, 2023, registered at the Sadar Kotkapura police station under Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC.

The complainant alleged that the IGP had demanded a Rs 50-lakh bribe to renominate Sant Jarnail Dass in the 2019 murder case of Sant Dayal Dass. The deal was allegedly settled at Rs 35 lakh, of which Rs 20 lakh was paid. Earlier, Sant Jarnail Dass was given a clean chit by the police.

According to the complaint, a DSP had initially demanded the bribe, which was later communicated to the IGP over speakerphone. Key witness Sant Malkit Dass detailed the delivery of Rs 20 lakh on November 9 and 11, 2022, and further alleged that the IGP personally demanded the remaining Rs15 lakh, instructing that the currency be exchanged at a bank to avoid tracing.

Despite what the petitioner calls “overwhelming evidence” — including witness statements under Section 164 of the CrPC, call records, digital recordings and testimonies — the VB has not named the IGP in the chargesheet. Instead, action has only been taken against the SP, DSP and SI-rank police officers.

Last month, the VB had submitted in the court of Special Judge Faridkot that no substantial evidence had been found against the IGP, a stance the petitioner strongly contests. Alleging a deliberate attempt to shield the senior officer, Gagan Dass has urged the HC to take cognisance of the IGP’s role and order an impartial investigation by the CBI.

The HC has fixed April 22 as the next date of hearing in the case.