Two Punjab Police officers discharged in case of ‘issuing fake promotion and transfer letters’ on behalf of DGP

An FIR was registered following a complaint received from DSP Vibhur Kumar on behalf of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab disclosing that the four orders — first on January 4, 2022 on the promotion of Satinder Pal Singh, Harvinder Singh, Manjit Singh; second, third, and fourth on January 8, 2022, on the promotion of eleven persons, establishment order of constable recruitment, and erasing the adverse entries in ACR of Inspector Daljit Singh — with the signatures of the then Punjab DGP have been forged to give benefit to the mentioned persons.

The counsel for Satwant Singh submitted before the court that the applicant was neither posted in the office of DGP Punjab nor at any post related to the work of the DGP. The counsel further pointed out that no incriminating evidence except the disclosure statement of Sarabjit has been collected during the investigation. The confessional statement of the co-accused implicating the other co-accused cannot be the sole basis to frame charge, the counsel said.

Another accused Satinder Singh, who also sought discharge from the case, submitted through his counsel that the investigation was conducted by an investigating officer, who was at the rank of Sub-Inspector, and so was not authorised to conduct such a probe, as under the Prevention of Corruption Act, only a DSP can conduct investigation. Further, since there is “procedural violation” in the arrest and investigation against the applicant and that the prosecution has not obtained permission from the court, the proceedings against the applicant have been “vitiated” and so he should be discharged, Satinder’s counsel argued.

The court, after hearing the plea, noted that the evidence collected during investigation do not reveal the involvement of accused Satwant and Sarabjit in commission of any offence, whereas sufficient evidence has been collected against accused Sandeep Kumar, Money Katoch, Bahadur Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Harwinder Singh and Satinder Singh in hatching conspiracy to forge document after receipt of money by “misusing their official position and using the forged document as genuine”.

“Sarabjit and Satwant stand discharged in the present case. However, evidence available on record is sufficient to frame the charges under Section 420,464,465,467,468,471 and 120-B against the accused persons namely Sandeep Kumar, Money Katoch, Bahadur Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Harwinder Singh and Satinder pal Singh,” the order said.

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