Punjab police have been trying to curb drug trafficking in the state for years.
The Special Task Force of the Ludhiana police has arrested a police officer and his aide, and recovered over 10 gm of heroin from them. They are accused of confiscating it from the possession of five alleged drug dealers but later setting them free in return for a bribe.
The accused have been identified as Sub-Inspector Amandeep Singh Gill, station house officer (SHO) of the Division 2 police station, and his driver, Ajay Kumar. Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal has suspended them from service until further notice.
The SHO was reportedly close to Balvir Singh, a head constable arrested by the Special Task Force on February 16 on charges of drug peddling. As much as 20 gm of heroin was recovered from his possession back then. Balvir Singh has been dismissed from service.
According to police, the two cops had confiscated the suspects' car and mobile phones and were trying to extort more money from them. Both have been suspended pending an inquiry.
STF Inspector General RK Jaiswal said Amandeep Singh Gill and his aide were picked up from Khasi Kalan village, and more arrests could follow in the days to come. While the alleged drug dealers' car and mobile phones were found hidden on the police station premises, the drugs were recovered from the SHO's residence.
RK Jaiswal said that Balvir Singh and his accomplices rounded up the alleged drug dealers -- Satvir Singh, Gurpal Singh, Harpreet Singh, Gagan and Yadwinder Singh -- on February 11. He handed them over to Amandeep Singh Gill, but the SHO -- instead of arresting them -- released them after three days in return for a bribe of Rs 30,000. According to the STF Inspector, he wanted lakhs of rupees in return for the mobile phone and car.
The case has been registered against the accused under various sections of the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act-1985 at the STF police station in Mohali.
The STF now plans to subject Amandeep Singh Gill to a dope test to find out if he is a drug user. A scrutiny of the SHO's case files has also revealed that he has not arrested any drug dealer in a long time.