Brother Punjab cop, helped Kohli hide

Punjab Police may have hit the headlines with the media ‘‘confession’’ of Maninderpal Singh Kohli. But nothing can cover...

Punjab Police may have hit the headlines with the media ‘‘confession’’ of Maninderpal Singh Kohli. But nothing can cover their failure to get information about Kohli from his brother Ishpreet Singh.

Even as the hunt for the man accused of raping and murdering British teenager Hannah Foster was on, Ishpreet continued to work in the Punjab Intelligence Department, which was tasked with tracing Kohli.

Police sources say Ishpreet was initially posted on the fifth floor of the police secretariat, which had posters displaying photos of Kohli on its walls.

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When the police learnt Ishpreet was Kohli’s brother, he was shifted from fifth floor to second (e-branch), where he worked as computer operator. Ishpreet was also sent to Ropar, and attempts were made to keep tabs on his movements.

A senior police officer said Ishpreet was also called for questioning a couple of times, but nothing suspicious was found. ‘‘Had his e-mails and activities been tracked earlier, it would have been easy for the police to discover Kohli’s whereabouts,’’ remarked an advocate following the case.

Officers claim Kohli’s interrogation reveals that his brothers helped him stay a step ahead of police, besides funding his stay at various places.

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