Khanna SSP shifted, no trace of missing cash yet

CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR: More than a month after the Khanna police was caught in a controversy over the recovery of Rs 16.5 crore from a Jalandhar- based Christian priest and two ASIs going missing with Rs 6.65 crore of those, the Election Commission (EC) ordered the transfer of Khanna SSP Dhruv Dahiya.

Jupinderjit Singh and Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jalandhar, May 1

More than a month after the Khanna police was caught in a controversy over the recovery of Rs 16.5 crore from a Jalandhar- based Christian priest and two ASIs going missing with Rs 6.65 crore of those, the Election Commission (EC) ordered the transfer of Khanna SSP Dhruv Dahiya.

A team of the Punjab Police, led by IG PK Sinha, has reached Kochi in Kerala to take custody of the two ASIs who were arrested by the Kerala Police on Tuesday. Sinha is heading a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta to probe the entire case, including role of senior officers.

The team is yet to question the two ASIs as the formalities of the custody handover were yet to be completed till the filing of the report. Sources said the two had told the Kerala Police they had reached Kochi two days ago only. They have told the Kerala Police that they reached Kochi from Mumbai, but their claims were subject to verification.

IG Sinha told The Tribune that the whereabouts of the money as well as the places where the two ASIs stayed since they absconded with money on March 29 would be known after their questioning and cross-checking of their claims only.

Advocate Mandeep Singh, who is the counsel for Father Anthony, said, “We are planning to file an application with the SIT asking them to probe the link of their stay in Kochi after the loot. We suspect that since the case against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, too, had been filed via Kerala, it could be the same persons using the police for the raid too. We suspect it to be some nexus working internally within the Diocese from Kerala. Father Anthony is currently away to Mumbai and I have discussed the matter with him on phone already.”

Father Anthony is the closest aide of Bishop Franco, who is facing a rape case lodged by a nun in Kerala. Father Anthony had been running several partnership firms with other priests, including a Rs 40-crore Sahodhaya firm, with the permission of Bishop Franco.