Former Minister Demands Central Agency Investigation
Former Punjab Cabinet Minister Sangat Singh Gilzian has called for the investigation into allegations against Tanda Station House Officer (SHO) Gurinderjit Singh Nagra to be transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Speaking at a press conference in Tanda on Wednesday, Gilzian argued that the case is too serious to be handled solely by the Punjab Police, especially given its international dimensions.
Gilzian referred to media reports stating that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under its ongoing Operation Hard Ball, has filed a case in a US court alleging that the SHO was involved in extortion of nearly $400,000. He emphasized that an independent and high-level probe is necessary when a police officer responsible for maintaining law and order is named in such a serious case.
Allegations of Extortion and International Attention
According to Gilzian, it is unlikely that a police station in-charge alone could have amassed such a large sum. He urged investigators to probe the role of any senior officials or political leaders who may have provided support or protection to the SHO. He criticized the current response of merely transferring the SHO to the Police Lines and ordering a fact-finding inquiry, stating that these measures are insufficient when the allegations have drawn international attention.
The former minister also claimed that several allegations had been made against the SHO during his more than two-year posting at Tanda. He alleged that an innocent youth had been falsely booked and sent to jail in a case related to the alleged disrespect of the Aam Aadmi Party's broom symbol.
Demands for Broader Investigation
Gilzian further demanded an investigation into alleged illegal mining activities in the Beas river and the people allegedly protecting those involved. He said any link between police officials and gangsters is a matter of grave concern. He alleged that during the Municipal Council and Block Samiti elections, Congress candidates had complained of threats from gangsters, but the police failed to provide justice. He claimed that a nexus of police, politicians, the mining mafia, and gangsters is operating in the Tanda area.
Repeating his demand, Gilzian said only an impartial probe by a central agency like the NIA could bring out the truth and ensure legal action against anyone found guilty. District Congress president Advocate Daljit Singh Gilzian, block president Avtar Singh Khokhar, and other Congress leaders Davinder Singh Budhi Pind, Babu Roop Lal, and Gursewak Marshal were also present at the press conference.
