Punjab Police, on Wednesday, arrested a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Lakhvir Singh for accepting Rs 10 lakh as bribe from a drug supplier for not naming him in the FIR registered in a case of drug trafficking.
Giving details about the case, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said the Tarn Taran district police had arrested a drug supplier identified as Pishora Singh from a petrol pump near Patti Morh after recovering 250 gram opium and Rs 1 lakh drug money from his possession on Sunday.
Pishora, a resident of village Model Boparai in the Tarn Taran district, was wanted in the first information report (FIR) registered on 30 June 2022, in which his aide Surjit Singh of village Mari Megha of the same district was arrested with 900 gram opium.
Yadav said during investigations by the Tarn Taran Police, Surjit revealed that he had purchased opium from Pishora, the main drug supplier.
“When the police started conducting raids to arrest him, Pishora tried to bribe Patti crime investigating agency (CIA) in-charge by offering him Rs 7 to Rs 8 lakh through assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Rashpal Singh (posted at CIA Patti), in lieu of not arresting and naming him in this case. But the in-charge refused to accept the bribe,” he said while adding the police teams continued their efforts to arrest Pishora.
“Later, Pishora met Rashpal Singh’s brother Hira Singh through his acquaintance Nishan Singh of village Sito in Tarn Taran and together they approached DSP Faridkot. Lakhvir also happens to be the cousin of Hira Singh. The DSP settled for a Rs 10 lakh deal to help the drug supplier,” said the DGP, adding that the accused DSP instructed Hira to keep the amount with him.
On the disclosure about Pishora Singh, the police have also recovered Rs 9.97 lakh from the house of Hira Singh. DGP Yadav said any police officer or official found indulging in corruption will not be spared.
The Police have also named ASI Rashpal Singh, Nishan Singh and Hira Singh in the FIR and raids are being conducted to nab them.