Two Punjab Police Officers Cleared in Fake Promotion Letters Scandal
In a significant development, a Punjab court has discharged two Punjab Police officers from charges related to allegedly issuing fake promotion and transfer letters using the name of former Director General of Police (DGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyaya in 2022.
The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar granted relief to Punjab Police Inspector Satwant Singh and Sub-Inspector Sarabjit Singh in the case involving forged documents that emerged just days before the transfer of the DGP.
The Forgery Case Details
The controversy came to light when an FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by DSP Vibhur Kumar on behalf of the DGP Punjab office. The complaint revealed that four fraudulent orders had been circulated with forged signatures of the then Punjab DGP.
The fake documents included a promotion order dated January 4, 2022 for Satinder Pal Singh, Harvinder Singh, and Manjit Singh. Three additional forged orders followed on January 8, 2022, covering promotions of eleven individuals, establishment orders for constable recruitment, and removal of adverse entries from the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of Inspector Daljit Singh.
Defense Arguments and Court Findings
During court proceedings, the counsel for Inspector Satwant Singh presented a compelling defense, arguing that his client was never posted in the DGP Punjab office nor held any position related to the DGP's work. The defense further highlighted that investigation had failed to gather any incriminating evidence against Satwant Singh except for the disclosure statement of co-accused Sarabjit Singh.
The court acknowledged that confessional statements of co-accused implicating other defendants cannot serve as the sole basis for framing charges. After examining the evidence, the court noted that the investigation materials did not reveal any involvement of Satwant Singh and Sarabjit Singh in committing offenses.
Meanwhile, another accused, Satinder Singh, who also sought discharge, raised procedural violations through his counsel. The defense argued that the investigation was conducted by a Sub-Inspector rank officer who lacked authorization under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which mandates that only a DSP can conduct such probes.
Six Accused Face Serious Charges
While two officers walked free, the court found sufficient evidence to proceed against six other individuals. The order specifically named Sandeep Kumar, Money Katoch, Bahadur Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Harwinder Singh, and Satinder Pal Singh as facing charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The court observed that substantial evidence had been collected showing these accused hatched a conspiracy to forge documents after receiving money, misusing their official positions, and using forged documents as genuine.
The charges framed against the six individuals include Sections 420 (cheating), 464 (making false documents), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining procedural integrity within police administration while ensuring that only the genuinely involved face legal consequences.
