Punjab’s tainted cops

THE special investigation team’s three reports, finally opened after lying in a sealed cover with the Punjab and Haryana High Court for about five years, make it amply clear why successive governments in Punjab have failed to stamp out the drug menace. The state’s war on drugs has been undermined by the nefarious activities of some police officials. The role of several such cops has come under sharp scrutiny; the reports (two interim and one final) have called for further investigation to look into the reasons that made tainted Inspector Inderjit Singh, who was dismissed later, a much-sought-after subordinate. The final report has accused AIG (then Moga SSP) Raj Jit Singh Hundal of recommending double promotion for Inderjit, even though the latter was facing criminal cases.

It’s not hard to figure out why some senior cops vied with each other to get Inderjit posted under them. The Inspector had a finger in virtually every pie. He allegedly ran an extortion and drug racket whose purported beneficiaries included his superiors. Contraband smuggled from Pakistan was planted on innocent persons, who were booked in drug cases and let off only when they coughed up money. Inderjit is also accused of helping smugglers secure bail by ensuring that the samples of drugs seized from them ‘failed’ the tests carried out by conniving personnel of the Forensic Science Laboratory.

The rot truly runs very deep. The onus is on the AAP government to take prompt and firm action on the basis of these reports. This must be done to deter all the Inderjits who are currently in service and are enjoying the patronage of their political and police bosses. In its manifesto for the 2022 Assembly elections, AAP had promised to make Punjab drug-free within one month of formation of its government. Over a year later, the drug scourge persists, even as many recoveries and arrests (mostly small fry) have been made. The black sheep in the police force need to be weeded out so that the battle against drugs can be put back on track. The big fish should be brought to book. After all, at stake here are Punjab’s present and future.