Punjab ex-AIG Rachhpal Singh arrested for framing villager in 2017 drug case
In 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against 10 police officials, including Rachhpal Singh, alleging that they had fabricated evidence to falsely implicate a resident of a border village.
PTC News Desk: The Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police has arrested former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Racchpal Singh in connection with a fake seizure of drugs case that dates back to 2017.
Cops have obtained his remand from a local court. However, officials have so far refrained from making any formal confirmation in this regard.
In 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against 10 police officials, including Rachhpal Singh, alleging that they had fabricated evidence to falsely implicate a resident of a border village. Those named in the chargesheet included an inspector, two sub-inspectors, four assistant sub-inspectors, and two head constables. They were booked under Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 192 (fabrication of evidence), 195 (false evidence to secure conviction), 211 (false charges), 218 (falsification of official records), 471 (use of forged documents), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.
The petitioner had approached the High Court in January 2021, alleging that in 2017, police personnel had taken him from a hospital and falsely accused him of smuggling heroin from Pakistan. He also claimed that several other villagers had been similarly framed. The matter was later transferred to the CBI.
Further investigation uncovered discrepancies through call detail records (CDRs) and CCTV footage.
In November 2019, the High Court instructed then DGP (Bureau of Investigation) Pramod Ban to conduct an inquiry. His report, submitted in December 2020, included call logs, CCTV clips, and location data that cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2017 operation.
Subsequently, in January 2021, the High Court handed over the probe to the CBI after inconsistencies were found. The inquiry revealed that one kilogram of heroin had actually been recovered from Gurjant Singh, alias Sonu, but was falsely recorded as being seized from Balwinder Singh. Gurjant Singh was allegedly let off, while Balwinder Singh was framed using fabricated evidence.