While Inspector Rajesh Shukla, the SHO of Sector 39, was placed under suspension for “failure to control drug menace and discrepancies in his prime duties regarding prevention and detection of crime”, Sector 36 SHO Inspector Devinder Sharma was suspended for “covering up lapse/involvement of a head constable with drug peddlers”.

Besides, Head Constable Sanjeev Kumar and constables Kuldeep Singh and Sewa Singh have also been placed under suspension for discrepancies in their prime duties.

Last week, a clash between alleged drug peddlers in Dadumajra village resulted in commotion in the area.

While a few shops were vandalised, a motorbike belonging to one group was set on fire. Four persons were arrested in this regard.

On October 6, Chandigarh Newsline reported that four policemen, posted at the Sector 39 police station (under the supervision of Shukla) had made the accused drink each others’ urine while in custody. An inquiry was marked, during which the accused said they were even paying a “monthly fee” to Shukla and his staff for peddling narcotics. The inquiry report was submitted to the IGP, who immediately suspended Shukla.

In Devinder Sharma’s case, an ongoing inquiry found another glaring discrepancy. Deputy Superintendent of Police J S Cheema, the inquiry officer in the case, submitted his report to the IGP on Wednesday.

The case pertains to the arrest of Raju, a notorious drug-peddler caught by the Narcotics Control Bureau in July, by the Fatehgarh Sahib police in November last year. When the police raided Raju’s residence in Sector 52 (under Sector-36 police station of which Sharma was the SHO), Special Cell Constable Baljeet Singh was present there. Though the fact came to Sharma’s notice, he allegedly hushed up the matter. An inquiry indicted Sharma for “dereliction in duty”.

Talking to Newsline, IGP S K Jain said: “I am not going to spare these officers who are involved in such criminal activities. The punishment will be extremely stern and unprecedented.”

Tainted past
Controversies or suspensions are nothing new to both Inspector Shukla and Sharma, who were posted as SHOs in September last year. While Shukla remained in news a few years ago for losing case files, for which he was suspended and faced regular departmental inquiries, Sharma was booked on charges of wrongful confinement, assault, kidnapping and abduction of a complainant in Sector-36 police station in 1998. A case was registered on the complaint of a Sector-38 resident. Though Sharma was suspended, the court acquitted him on September 12, 2005.Tainted past Controversies or suspensions are nothing new to both Inspector Shukla and Sharma, who were posted as SHOs in September last year. While Shukla remained in news a few years ago for losing case files, for which he was suspended and faced regular departmental inquiries, Sharma was booked on charges of wrongful confinement, assault, kidnapping and abduction of a complainant in Sector-36 police station in 1998. A case was registered on the complaint of a Sector-38 resident. Though Sharma was suspended, the court acquitted him on September 12, 2005.
There were several other instances when Sharma remained in news. A few years ago, he was allegedly caught with a woman in a compromising position, for which he was thrashed by locals. In an attempt to escape the public-beating, he even fired gunshots in the air. He was made to apologise, by climbing on top of a car and saying ‘sorry’ with folded hands. In another case, Sharma lost his wireless set, for which he again faced a departmental inquiry.There were several other instances when Sharma remained in news. A few years ago, he was allegedly caught with a woman in a compromising position, for which he was thrashed by locals. In an attempt to escape the public-beating, he even fired gunshots in the air. He was made to apologise, by climbing on top of a car and saying ‘sorry’ with folded hands. In another case, Sharma lost his wireless set, for which he again faced a departmental inquiry.