Amritsar Rural SSP Maninder Singh suspended for ‘inaction’ against gangsters

Earlier, on November 8, the Election Commission of India (ECI) suspended Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal, the SSP of Tarn Taran district. An IPS officer who had assumed charge in September 2025, Grewal was accused of bias and misuse of police authority during the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.

SAD candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa had alleged allegations of surveillance and harassment by police near her campaign offices and rally sites, escalating claims of electoral interference.

Grewal’s suspension stemmed from a formal complaint lodged by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal with the Punjab chief electoral officer. Badal alleged that Grewal orchestrated “false” FIRs against SAD leaders and workers to sabotage their campaign, including charges of criminal intimidation, conspiracy, and election misconduct. Specific grievances included the arrest of three SAD workers (Varinder Singh, Shamsher Singh, and Balwinder Singh) on grounds related to anti-drug operations, organised crime, theft, extortion, and arms possession. The SAD further claimed police impersonation by unidentified individuals posing as officers and targeted detentions to favour AAP.

Election Commission of India (ECI) observer Shyni S’s report highlighted “serious lapses in impartial conduct” and “concerted actions” by police across Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Batala, and Moga districts, prompting the decisive move.

Surinder Lamba, an IPS officer previously posted as AIG (Personnel-1) at Punjab Police Headquarters in Chandigarh, was appointed as the new Tarn Taran SSP after ECI clearance. Additionally, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar was assigned temporary additional charge.

The ECI instructed Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav to submit an action-taken report within 36 hours and deploy a senior officer (not below Additional DGP rank) to review the alleged wrongful arrests. Special DGP Ram Singh was tasked with leading this probe, though he requested an extension until November 13, one day before the bypoll results were announced.

In a notable contradiction, Ferozepur Range DIG Harmanbir Singh Gill submitted a report on the same day as Grewal’s suspension (November 8) exonerating the Tarn Taran police, labelling SAD’s complaints “baseless” and affirming that the arrests were routine and lawful under ongoing investigations. This state-level clearance clashed with ECI’s reliance on the observer’s findings, underscoring tensions between central election oversight and local law enforcement narratives.

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