Day after SHO’s dig at Punjab CM, probe indicts him of lapses, indiscipline

A day after Mehatpur station house officer (SHO) Parminder Singh Bajwa took a dig at chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s personal life, an inquiry report by Jalandhar superintendent of police (SP investigation) Balkar Singh on Tuesday indicted the inspector-rank official of dereliction of duty and indiscipline.

Bajwa had hit the headlines after he registered an FIR against Hardev Singh Ladi for illegal mining on May 4 within hours after the latter was declared the Congress candidate for the Shahkot bypoll.

Soon after, Jalandhar senior superintendent of police (SSP rural) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar had asked the SP to probe the role of the officials and the procedures the SHO adopted while registering the case.

The SP’s report on Bajwa, submitted to the SSP on Tuesday, was forwarded to the Jalandhar deputy commissioner-cum-district electoral officer (DEO) for further action.

The report says the day he registered the FIR, Bajwa left his jurisdiction violating the model code of conduct which is in force. He left his official mobile phones in the police station after lodging the FIR and disappeared till afternoon, the report points out.

The SP is also learnt to have recorded statements of the Mehatpur police station staff who alleged that the SHO consumed liquor when on duty.

“Following the procedure, the district electoral officer has marked the probe to the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) for action recommending Bajwa’s immediate transfer. Only the CEO can take any action in the matter, if there has to be any,” said an official privy with the development.

The CM in a press conference on Monday had said the state government could not initiate any action against the SHO as Shahkot is governed by the election commission. He also claimed that the SHO registered the FIR as he was in touch with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljeet Cheema and leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira.

EC had appointed Bajwa as Mehatpur SHO from a panel of three officials prepared by SSP Bhullar, who had himself removed him as Shahkot SHO few days before the announcement of the bypoll. The SSP had sent the panel to the home department that submitted the same it to EC.

Since registration of the FIR, Bajwa is on leave and continues to embarrass the state government through his interviews in the media, blasting the senior police officials and politicians, including the CM.

In some interviews, he has made personal remarks against the CM and even used abusive language.

His media interviews have created an impression in the government that the Congress has lost round one of the byelection in terms of perception. Senior Congress leaders are admitting the government has not been being able to tame an SHO.

Senior party leaders have also raised questions over what they termed as the SSP’s failure to control the SHO after he registered the FIR.