IEP Chandigarh, August 24
Amidst the ongoing anti-corruption drive in the state, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Thursday arrested absconding Inspector Khem Chand Prashar from Ferozepur in connection with a bribery case of Rs 20 lakh for re-nominating a person— who was given a clean chit, in a 2019 murder case of Mahant Dayal Das. This is a second arrest in the case. Notably, the latter was shot dead by two unknown persons at Dera Baba Harka Das in village Kotsukhia in Kotkapura on November 7, 2019.
Following this, the murder case was registered at Police Station Sadar Kotkapura against two unknown persons and Sant Jarnail Das Kapurewale and others on the complaint of Sant Gagan Das, who is a disciple of Sant Baba Haridas. Later, accused Sant Jarnail Das was given a clean chit by DSP HQs Moga Ravinder Singh. Later, Punjab and Haryana High Court had summoned IGP Faridkot Range Pardeep Kumar Yadav to file an affidavit in the case. Thereafter, the IGP had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) headed by SP (D) Faridkot Gagnesh Kumar comprising members including DSP Faridkot Sushil Kumar, DSP Baghapurana Jasjot Singh and Inspector Khem Chand Prashar.
Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the VB said that in November 2022, SP Gagnesh Kumar, DSP Sushil Kumar and Inspector Khem Chand had demanded Rs 50 lakh as a bribe from Sant Gagan Das to re-nominate and arrest Sant Jarnail Das Kapurewale and to help him (Gagan Das) in this case. The deal was settled at Rs 35 lakh and the said officers had taken Rs 20 lakh in two instalments— Rs 15 lakh and Rs 5 lakh on November 9, 2022 and November 11, 2022 respectively.
In this regard, an FIR no. 64 Dated 02.06.2023 under sections of 07, 07-A, 08, 13-1 (B) of Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B of IPC was registered against SP Gagnesh Kumar, DSP Sushil Kumar, Inspector Khem Chand Prashar, Sant Malkiat Dass, Dera Bir Sikhan Wala and Contractor Jaswinder Singh Jassi at Police Station Sadar Kotkapura on the enquiry of DIG, Ferozepur, he added.
The spokesperson said that the Police teams from Vigilance Bureau Ferozepur Range have already arrested DSP Sushil Kumar and now, he is in judicial custody. Baba Malkiat Dass also surrendered in the court of Addition District Judge, Faridkot on 23-08-2023. Today VB has arrested absconding Inspector Khem Chand Prashar and he will be produced in the court tomorrow.
The VB team has launched a manhunt to arrest the remaining accused of the case at the earliest, he added.
