A high-level investigation has been initiated into the conduct of the Punjab Police following the emergence of viral video footage that purportedly shows an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) planting narcotics during a raid in Khanna, Ludhiana district. The officer, identified as Sukhdev Singh, has been suspended from duty and removed from the ongoing investigation after the clip, recorded by a hidden camera at the residence of Mahant Kashmir Giri, surfaced publicly.
The controversy began when police conducted a search operation at the home of Mahant Kashmir Giri. According to official police accounts, the operation was prompted by the earlier arrest of Giri’s driver, identified as Gurjant Singh, also known as Janta. Authorities alleged that during his interrogation, the driver implicated the residence, leading officers to recover approximately 30 grams of heroin from beneath a bed mattress at the property. Following this discovery, Mahant Kashmir Giri was arrested and charged in a drug trafficking case.
However, the narrative shifted significantly after footage from a security camera inside the residence became public. The video appears to depict ASI Sukhdev Singh, who was in plain clothes, entering the room and secretly placing a small packet under the mattress prior to the arrival of the main police search party. Moments later, the video shows other members of the police team entering the room alongside the resident. The subsequent recovery of the narcotics occurred at the exact location where the officer was purportedly seen hiding the item.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, including Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal. In a public statement shared on social media, Badal accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of overseeing a severe decline in law and order across the state. He alleged that the incident reflected a broader issue where police personnel were framing citizens through the intentional planting of illicit substances. Referencing the government’s stated policy goals, Badal questioned whether the administration’s promise of “doorstep delivery of services” now extended to the planting of drugs by police officers.
In response to the mounting pressure and the visual evidence, Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Darpan Ahluwalia took administrative action, ordering the immediate suspension of ASI Sukhdev Singh, who had been attached to the CIA staff. Furthermore, officials confirmed that Mahant Kashmir Giri has been released from custody in connection with the case following the scrutiny of the evidence.
To ensure a comprehensive review of the incident, the department has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The probe is being led by an officer at the rank of Superintendent of Police. This team is tasked with conducting a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the raid and the authenticity of the claims regarding the planted evidence.
As the investigation proceeds, the case has become a focal point for debates regarding police accountability and investigative integrity within the region. The findings of the SIT are expected to determine the next course of legal action against the accused officer and address the allegations surrounding the initial drug recovery operation. For now, the suspension stands as the primary departmental response as authorities seek to address the potential breakdown of protocol exposed by the hidden camera footage.
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