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Journalism of Courage
Former Punjab Police inspector general Amar Singh Chahal, an accused in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case, is in critical condition after allegedly shooting himself with a security guard’s revolver at his Patiala residence Monday after reportedly losing crores of rupees in an online scam.
According to the Patiala police, Chahal, who retired as an IG, sustained a chest wound, and is under treatment. They said police teams rushed to his house, and admitted him to Park (Paras) Hospital, where his condition is said to be critical.
Varun Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, confirmed that teams arrived immediately after reports of the gunshot, and recovered a note from Chahal’s home.
“We intervened in time and took him to the hospital while he was still breathing. We reached and reacted in less than 10 minutes. He is critical but breathing,” said Sharma.
Sharma said Chahal left a 12-page note addressed to Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police, Punjab, citing financial distress after he was duped in a Rs 8.10 crore cyber fraud.
Sources said Chahal’s note indicates that he got in touch with the company allegedly involved in the fraud in October. They added that several people had invested in the company.
According to sources, Chahal said in his letter to Yadav that he invested Rs 1 crore, borrowed the rest from friends and relatives, and made payments to the company online through three banks.
They added that Chahal had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about the issue.
The police said an investigation is underway into the circumstances, including the claims made by the former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
Chahal faced charges in the 2015 Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents, linked to protests over sacrilege cases, where two protesters died.
“All angles are being investigated. His note is addressed to several people, including DGP Yadav. Our focus is on saving his life,” said SSP Sharma.
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