Punjab: Review panel nod to sack SP Salwinder Singh

A screening committee headed by Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh on Thursday cleared premature retirement of suspended Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, who made it to national headlines in January 2016 after he claimed that terrorists had carjacked his vehicle. The terrorists subsequently carried out the attack on the Pathankot airbase on January 2, 2016.

Two months ago, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had signed an order on Salwinder which read “retire him prematurely” after the file was put before him by the Home department. Punjab DGP Suresh Arora had recommended compulsory retirement for Salwinder, citing a list of incidents of misconduct, indiscipline, and criminal cases against him. Following CM’s nod, the review committee was to take a final call on “premature retirement” on the basis procedures.

Salwinder was declared a proclaimed offender in a sexual abuse case before he surrendered in April. He had been named an accused in two criminal cases of sexual abuse and sexual harassment, respectively. He is out on bail now.

Before his suspension in September 2016 in connection with sexual harassment case, Salwinder was suspended as many as six times between May 1996 to April 2005 and was reinstated each time. At present, as many as five departmental probes were pending against Salwinder. After the Pathankot attack, the officer was questioned by the NIA and put through a lie-detection test too before being given a clean chit.