Chandigarh: IPS officer arrested for taking bribe

Interestingly,the complainant in the case is also with the Chandigarh Police: Inspector Anokh Singh of Police Station,Sector 26. As per available information,Desh Raj had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from Anokh Singh,promising the latter to get him exonerated in the two inquiries pending before Desh Raj.

After a bargain,the “deal” was struck at Rs 2 lakh. Anokh Singh approached the CBI which laid a trap and caught Desh Raj red-handed while accepting the first instalment of Rs 1 lakh.

The search of Desh Raj’s official residence was on at the time of filing this report. Desh Raj,a 2008 IPS officer,joined as ACP,Punjabi Bagh,in New Delhi on September 1,2010 . After holding the post for about one month,he joined UT Police as ASP (Central sub-division) on October 20,2010 as under training IPS officer. On July 25,he was given the posting and rank of Superintendent of Police (city and headquarters).

Desh Raj had earlier figured in a controversy wherein he had accused two Chandigarh Police Inspectors of “insubordination”. Mincing no words,Inspector Amanjot Singh in his resignation had accused Deshraj Singh of harassing him by ordering repeated departmental inquiries.

The ‘cold war’ between Deshraj and the Crime Branch officials had flared up in May when Desh Raj,the then ASP,had accused Crime Branch officers of insubordination and submitted a report to the SSP.

Based on the ASP’s reports,SSP Naunihal Singh had ordered departmental inquiries in two cases against Amanjot Singh.

In his resignation,Amanjot had categorically blamed the ASP for having ‘bias’ and malafide against him.

The issue had further flared up on May 7 during the visit of Vice-President M Hamid Ansari when Deshraj had alleged that Inspectors Amanjot Singh and Neeraj Sarna disobeyed his orders after he asked them to follow him to a spot where a few advocates were protesting. The inquiries were later dropped by the Chandigarh Police.

However,earlier this month,the Central government had ordered a probe into the alleged insubordination and ordered suspension of Inspectors Amanjot and Neeraj Sarna.

When contacted,UT DGP P K Srivastava said,“The CBI has done a commendable job. It is good that they are catching all the people who have tainted our police department and our society. I will be supporting CBI in whichever way they want.”

Desh Raj,who has been booked on charges of corruption,will be produced before a local court on Friday.