By SATINDER BAINS
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is under fire for allegedly adopting a selective and superficial approach, to protect black sheep in the police department in its ongoing campaign against drugs and corruption. The government has also failed to act decisively in cases of moral turpitude and indiscipline by police officers. The Mann government has been accused of prioritizing propaganda over substantive action.
Despite high-profile claims of a crackdown on narcotics, the government's actions appear to target only small-time drug peddlers while sparing major drug smugglers and police officers helping the drug lords, raising questions about the sincerity of the intensive publicity campaigns 'Yudh Nashyan Virudh' and "Nasha Mukti Yatra", launched recently. The death of 27 persons with spurious liquor in Amritsar district completely washed out the gains, if any made by the AAP government.
Unfortunately, the Mann administration has been accused of shielding police officers with alleged connections to the drug mafia. Among the officers under scrutiny are DIG Inderjit Singh and AIG Raj Jeet Singh, both of whom were implicated in corruption and alleged links with drug traffickers. Despite these serious allegations, the government has given them an escape window. Similar is the case of high profile lady head constable Amandeep Kaur of Bathinda, caught with heroin, who enjoy blessings of top police brass and entire government machinery is activated to save her.
DIG Inderjit Singh's case is particularly significant as he was booked under charges of bribery and corruption, with allegations of accepting large sums of money from drug smugglers. Singh was summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the corruption allegations. Despite the ongoing probe, he remains in service, raising further questions about the government's selective approach in dealing with corrupt officers. An FIR was lodged against him, and he was suspended, but no substantial action followed. Despite being named in multiple reports linking him to the narcotics trade, Singh continues to evade accountability, fueling concerns about political interference and selective law enforcement.
AIG Raj Jeet Singh’s case is another glaring example of the government’s alleged leniency towards powerful police officers. Singh was eventually dismissed from service after judicial intervention, as mounting evidence and public pressure compelled the authorities to take action. Despite his dismissal, the circumstances surrounding his escape from the country remain contentious, with critics alleging that he was given a long rope by the government to evade arrest. Raj Jeet was accused of having deep connections with the drug mafia and was named in multiple investigations involving drug trafficking and corruption. Despite serious allegations and mounting evidence, the Mann government reportedly gave Raj Jeet Singh ample time to escape from the country. Critics claim that the delay in arresting him was deliberate, allowing him to evade justice.
In another instance of apparent favoritism, Bathinda police arrested constable Amandeep Kaur with 17 grams of heroin. Despite the high-profile nature of the case, the Punjab government has remained silent on the status of the investigation. No substantial updates have been provided to the public, raising suspicions of a deliberate attempt to shield Kaur and her alleged connections to senior police officials and political figures. According to investigative reports, Kaur, known for her lavish lifestyle and influential connections within the police department, was allegedly caught red-handed with heroin during a routine checkpoint inspection. Despite the significant quantity of drugs recovered, she managed to secure bail after the police reportedly failed to establish her backward and forward linkages in the drug trade.
Kaur’s name has surfaced in multiple reports linking her to senior police officials and powerful political connections. Insiders suggest that she had close ties with influential officers, which enabled her to evade stringent legal consequences. Questions have also been raised about the manner in which the police handled the evidence and the overall investigation, with allegations that crucial information regarding her contacts and financial transactions was deliberately omitted to protect higher-ups. She alleged to have tried to call a senior police officer at the time of her arrest but official snatched her mobile.
On moral side, serious allegations have surfaced against a top ranked police officer who remains in office despite an audio clip allegedly revealing him negotiating rates with prostitutes going viral. Previously, this officer served in Jalandhar and Ropar, where he was transferred amid allegations of misconduct and controversy. Despite these allegations, he was appointed ina key district, due to his perceived proximity to influential political figures within the AAP government. Critics allege that the government has ignored his controversial past and protected him despite mounting evidence against him, further questioning the Mann administration’s claims of zero tolerance against corruption.
In another controversial case, DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu was dismissed from service after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court indicted him for allowing gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to be interviewed within the premises of the Kharar CIA staff office. However, despite the indictment, Sandhu was not arrested, raising further questions about the Mann government's commitment to law and order.
The role of Bhagwant Mann has also come under scrutiny in the case involving Punjab Police inspectors, including Inspector Rouni Singh, accused of assaulting an army colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath in Patiala on March 13-14 night. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Patiala SSP Nanak Singh, who allegedly refused to register an FIR and attempted to hush up the case, raising serious concerns about police impunity and political interference in sensitive cases.
Despite the severity of the attack, Mann’s administration allegedly downplayed the incident, raising questions about his selective approach towards police excesses. Mann had failed to fulfill his promise to Jasvinder Kaur, the wife of Colonel Bath for taking action against the guilty police officers. It was only after the intervention of High Court that FIR was lodged and police officials were shifted out of Patiala.
MLA Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, a former senior police officer, has publicly accused the Mann government of turning a blind eye to the influence of the drug mafia within the government apparatus. According to Singh, drug networks continue to operate with impunity under political protection, undermining law enforcement efforts. His allegations have further fueled the perception that the AAP government is more focused on optics than genuine action against drug cartels.
Moreover, Bhagwant Mann’s critics accuse him of functioning as a figurehead, with real control over governance allegedly exercised by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Opposition leaders claim that Mann has been reduced to a mere puppet, with key decisions, including police transfers, being made by AAP leaders in Delhi.
The Opposition leaders have labeled the state under Mann as a 'police state, ' alleging that the Chief Minister has resorted to using the police force as a tool to suppress dissent while ignoring corruption within the ranks of law enforcement. With multiple controversies now converging, the Bhagwant Mann government finds itself under mounting pressure to demonstrate that its claims of good governance are more than just rhetoric.