IGP Paramraj Umranangal, 4 other top cops suspended for ‘links’ with drug smugglers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25

The Punjab Home Department has suspended five cops, including an Inspector General of Police, on the charge that they were hand in glove with some drug smugglers.

The Home Department issued orders of suspension on a report by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police on a police-drug smuggler nexus.

Those suspended included IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal (already under suspension in a police firing case related to sacrilege incidents), AIG Varinderjit Singh Thind, SP Sewa Singh Malli, DSP Parminder Singh Bath and DSP Karan Sher Singh.

The STF had, in a preliminary report based on disclosures made by drug smuggler Gurdeep Singh, sought disciplinary and criminal proceedings against these cops. The Home Department also asked the STF to file a final inquiry report into the matter.

The drug-police nexus has returned to haunt the state police in an election year. Earlier, in 2017-18, the STF had named some senior police officers running this nexus. The controversy had boiled over involving the Chief Minister’s Office and top-ranking police officials.