Extortionist cop suspended again

The “notorious” cop,who was reportedly running a racket wherein he used to trap rich people with the help of call girls and then extort money from them under duress,has been suspended with effect from Wednesday itself and SP (Telecommunication),Punjab,at Chandigarh,has been assigned the regular departmental inquiry against him,an order issued by the office of Punjab ADGP (Information Technology and Telecommunication) SM Sharma on Friday reads.

The development assumes significance as Chand was also suspended with effect from August 29 when a case under Sections 384 (extortion),389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence in order to commit) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC was registered against him at Phase I police station in Mohali but was reinstated recently. Though the cop remained on rolls at Police Lines of Information Technology and Telecommunication in Mohali during his suspension period but Mohali police could not lay hands on him for the reasons best known to it.

Given ample time and opportunity,Chand was able to procure interim bail from a district court and on the basis of court order asking him to join investigations,he simply appeared before the investigating officials,who were ‘generous’ enough to put his arrest and release him on the same day to make him ‘fulfill’ the requirement of joining investigation. However,in the process no progress was made in the case. Neither the gang kingpin woman or any other accomplice of Chand could be arrested nor any recovery was made despite Chand joining investigations. On the basis of completing this ‘formality’,Chand was able to get reinstated with effect from December 1 and again posted at his previous place of posting in Fatehgarh Sahib.

Since Chand has already been shown arrested in Mohali case,the local cops could not even seek his further custody in the same case,confided a local official. On how a cop facing serious criminal charges escaped stern action but instead reinstated after suspension,ADGP (Information Technology and Telecommunication) SM Sharma said,“Though the case is not in my knowledge but I will ask for an explanation and check up how all this happened”.

On the other hand,Chand is still in the custody of Ludhiana police while the gang kingpin Tejinder Kaur,aged around 30,of Patiala and a call girl,aged around 20,from Shimla,who were also arrested with him were sent to 14-day judicial custody.

Confirming this,Ludhiana Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Harsh Bansal told The Indian Express over phone Saturday that a Ford Ikon car used in the crime was also recovered while another call girl and an accomplice of Chand in the racket were still at large.

“Chand was running the racket for past over three years and was active in Ludhiana,Khanna,Mohali,Patiala,Fatehgarh Sahib and other districts but was never arrested anywhere in the past,” Bansal,who led a SIT that caught the ‘extortionist’ cop and his two accomplices. He disclosed that a detailed report has been sent to Punjab DGP recommending stern departmental action against Chand in view of his criminal activities.

Besides,Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra has also recommended dismissal of Chand from service with immediate effect for bringing bad name to the entire state police,especially Fatehgarh Sahib,where he was posted in wireless wing having no control or link with district police.

Ludhiana police were interrogating Chand in a case of extortion and cheating lodged against him and his accomplices at Daresi police station in Ludhiana on December 20.