Farmer extortion case: A year on, VB probe still incomplete
It has been over a year since a probe was marked into the extortion case involving former Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Inderbir Singh. However, the vigilance bureau has failed to complete its investigation into the same. What’s worth mentioning is that, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had ordered to conclude the probe in a month. An inquiry by SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu had found Inderbir (now AIG policy and rules) and four other officials prima facie guilty of extorting Rs 19 lakh from two farmers by threatening to implicate them in a case of giving shelter to gangster Devinder Singh Babli Randhawa. The then DSP Jashandeep Gill, the then Longowal station house officer (SHO) Sikandar Singh, Ajit Nagar police post in-charge Baljinder Singh Chatha and Badrukhan police post in-charge Gurmail Singh are the other officials. “I have no hope of justice. Earlier, I refused a patch-up with the accused but now I want it. I want to get my money back which I have paid as bribe to policemen. I had borrowed the money from my relatives and moneylenders and they are asking for it. I am paying interest on it,” said Dhanwant Singh (28), one of the complainants. “VB recorded our statements on May 2, 2017. We gave them evidence. We narrated how the station house officer (SHO) and other policemen extorted money from us, and how Inderbir took his share. It’s been more than a year but nothing has happened. Even the probe report has not been finalised,” said Dhanwant and Harjinder Babbu (27), the second complainant. The probe was marked on April 12, 2017. Initially, VB acted promptly but slowed down eventually. “I am surprised over the delay in the probe. If Inderbir is clean, then there should be action against SSP Mandeep for misreporting facts”, said a senior police official.
