Drug smuggling: ED seeks details of Rajjit case from Vigilance

May 31, 2023 punjabenews

Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked the Punjab Vigilance to provide all information about sacked AIG Rajjit Singh of Punjab Police in a drug trafficking case. Thus, the problems of many, including this dismissed police officer, have increased.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also asked him to submit a report to the Punjab DGP on the role of other police officers linked to inspector (sacked) Inderjit Singh’s case.

It may be recalled that the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had registered a case against the dismissed police officer on charges of amassing income disproportionate to his known sources of income and corruption following the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

According to sources, the ED has sought fiRs in the corruption case, complete details of bank accounts and details of properties.

The ED has also sought copies of the reports submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by retired DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya. It may be recalled that out of the four reports submitted by the SIT to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, three were submitted by the apex court to the Punjab government for further action and one report is still pending in the high court.

Police sources said the ED’s crackdown on Rajjit Singh is likely to add to the woes of around a dozen police officers from the rank of DGP to SSP. On April 17, the Punjab government had ordered action against AIG (sacked) Rajjit Singh. Following the government’s orders, the Special Task Force (STF) has also invoked sections 59 and 39 of the NDPS Act, including Sections 120B, 218 and 384 of the IPC, against Rajjit Singh.

Under these sections, the police are accused of taking a ransom from this police officer primarily and a police officer cooperating in protecting the offenders from punishment. Similarly, sections of the NDPS Act are invoked against a police officer when there are allegations of collusion.

These sections have been invoked on the basis of points raised by the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by retired DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya in its reports. Rajjit Singh did not come into the hands of the police after the case was registered.

After this, the Vigilance had not only registered a case but the STF also registered another case against this dismissed police officer. Rajjit Singh was named by the then STF chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in a case of drug smuggling against Inspector (dismissed) Inderjit Singh at the STF police station. The dismissed inspector is still lodged in jail.