₹20-lakh graft case: Faridkot court rejects accused’s plea to turn approver

Faridkot : The Faridkot chief judicial magistrate rejected application of an accused to become approver and be pardoned in the ₹20-lakh bribery case linked to a probe into the 2019 murder of the Faridkot dera deputy head.

Last week, Malkiat Dass, who is the head of a gaushala (cow shelter), approached the special judge agreeing to provide details regarding the payment of ₹20 lakh as bribe to two Punjab Police officials who allegedly collected it for an inspector general of police (IGP). On August 28, he recorded his statement under Section 164 of CrPC alleging that ₹20 lakh bribe was delivered to then Faridkot inspector general of police by co-accused cops and later the IPS officer directly him asked to bring the remaining ₹15 lakh.

In June, then Faridkot SP Gagnesh Kumar, then Faridkot DSP Sushil Kumar, SI Khem Chand Prashar, who was posted as in-charge of RTI branch of Faridkot IG office, Jaswinder Singh of Faridkot city and Malkiat Dass of Bir Sikhan Wala village in Faridkot were booked for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹20 lakh to renominate the “prime accused” in the murder case of Dayal Das, deputy head of Harka Das Dera at Kot Sukhia village in Faridkot district. He was shot dead by two shooters on November 7, 2019.

The case was registered on the complaint of Gagan Dass, who is officiating as in-charge of the dera since the death of former head Hari Das in May 2020. The case was handed over to VB.

Special judge Rajeev Kalra on Saturday said that the sealed envelope containing the confessional statement of Malkiat Dass has already been received from the court of chief judicial magistrate, Faridkot. “In pursuance of order passed by this court, the CJM considered the request of accused Malkiat Dass for tender of pardon or to record his confessional statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. Though the confessional statement of the accused was recorded, the request of the accused for pardon was declined,” he said.

CJM Lavdeep Hundal had observed that the application was not maintainable and was dismissed accordingly.

The court on Saturday extended the VB remand of Dass by one day. The VB has told the court that Dass is required to be taken to Jalandhar and for obtaining CCTV footage of the alleged meeting between him and the accused cops.