CHANDIGARH; A top-secret report prepared by the state government has indicted several Punjab police officials for receiving illegal gratifications amounting to millions of rupees from several private finance companies in the state having dubious reputations. Significantly, some of these companies have been en- joying established links with several militant organizations. Interestingly, the four-page report prepared recently by the Punjab police intelligence as also indicted a very senior state IPS officer currently on deputation at the Center. The report has revealed the officers involvement with a lady manager of one such finance company who was being used by the company to wangle favors from the police.

THESARPANCHNEXUS: The report mentions that one of the four managers of the Amritsar- based Sajida Finance Company, certain Harjit Kaur, had been claiming to be a sister-in-law of, the IPS officer. The report reveals she had been a mistress to a sarpanch of a village located near Harike in Amritsar district. This sarpanch, believed to be an opium smuggler, is said to have been close to a senior CRPF officer posted in Punjab.

This sarpanch had reportedly introduced the lady to the IPS officer at Chandigarh, who gradually developed “direct relations” with her after she began visiting him regularly, the report says. The concerned officer had referred her to another senior IPS. Officer posted in Amritsar at that time “in case of any eventuality.” This officer had also developed relations with her. In May last year, the lady accompanied by two of her male company col- leagues had met the IPS officer in question in Chandigarh with the request to prevent the SSP of a particular border district from taking legal action against them.

On their return to Amritsar, she received a check of Rs-17 lakh from the company meant for distribution to other company branches and also to present a car to the IPS officer “for the favors he had done to them.” However, before the check could be cashed, the deputy commissioner of Amritsar had imposed a ban on withdrawal from the company accounts.

EXTORTION BY POLICE: Later, two of her male colleagues had been rounded up by the Tam Taran police for questioning. The report says they had been compelled to cough up R.s 4.76 lakh. Some of this money was distributed to relatives of the magistrate, an advocate in Patiala said to be close to an SSP, and Harjit Kaur. They remained in police custody for a long time and gaveRs3 lakh to a CID inspector to escape torture, the report adds.

In another case, the report has indicted the owner of the Prabhat Finance Company, Rajwant Singh Dhillon, of having close nexus with several police officers and politicians. Dhillon who is said to have collected cores   of rupees from the public contributed freely for welfare activities on demand by the police. To win over militants, he had recruited their close relatives and friends including the wives of two top Babbar Khalsa militants.

The report notes “When the in- formation about his (Dhillion’s) connection with the militants became known to the police, they also exploited the situation and collected money from him. The report  has listed some of the beneficiaries which includes an inspector, now a DSP, who received R.s 5 lakh. Another DSP was paid R.s 3 lakh for hushing up information that the finance company. Owner was sheltering militant.

 FORMERSSPINDICTED: The has also indicted a former district SSP of receiving R.s 8 lakh, for helping Dhillon in a CID enquiry against the company. An- other DSP posted at Amritsar was, given R.s2 lakh by Dhillon to say himself from torture when he had been taken into police custody. In the third case, the report has indicted an SP for providing protection to Punjab Singh, owner of “Majitha Finance Company, to help him escape government action against the company.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 29, 1991