ASIs, informer now booked for robbery at priest’s house

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 19

After the arrest of informer Surinder Singh on Tuesday, the Special Investigation Team handling the case of siphoning Rs 6.66 crore off the house of Father Anthony Madassery has added more Sections in the FIR lodged against him and the two absconding ASIs with the State Crime Police Station at Mohali.

While earlier, the FIR had Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 34 of the IPC and 13(1)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the trio, the police have now added Sections 392 (punishment for robbery) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The SIT has also procured warrants to search and arrest the two ASIs — Joginder Singh and Rajpreet Singh — who have been absconding since their role came under scanner last week. The police had applied for warrants from the court of Mohali CJM Deepika, which have been issued till May 2. The AIG, Crime, Punjab, and member of the SIT Rakesh Kaushal confirmed both developments.

Father Anthony Madassery’s lawyer Mandeep Sachdev had sought addition of Sections 452, 382, 398, 347, 392 and 409 of the IPC, besides PC Act. Meanwhile, the two ASIs have jointly applied for bail in the court of Monica Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mohali. Sachdev said, “I have been engaged by Father Anthony to represent his side in the bail case tomorrow.”