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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, Jan 21: In a significant development, the Chandigarh Administration today suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Asa Nand, while DSP Surjit Singh has been reinstated with immediate effect.
Asa Nand, at present posted as Officer on Special Duty (Vigilance), was suspended after the Administration allegedly held him guilty of serious lapses in the investigation of certain sensitive criminal cases and a series of actions aimed at allegedly helping the accused, including deliberately trying to cause delay in the filing of challan in the court.
"Major penalty" is being recommended in the chargesheet against Asa Nand, an official press release said here today.
Incidentally, Asa Nand was supervising many important cases handled by the UT Vigilance Department, including cases against engineers, among them former chief engineer K.K. Jerath.
Earlier, Asa Nand had reportedly written to UT Home Secretary Anuradha Gupta seeking repatriation to his parent police department. "…In the prevailing state of affairs, my conscience does not allow me to serve in the Vigilance Cell and therefore, I may kindly be transferred to parent police department," he is learnt to have written in a letter dated December 30 last.
Refusing to elaborate, Asa Nand, when contacted, said: "Almighty has saved me from becoming a party to wrong things."
Meanwhile, in another development, the Administration has reinstated DSP Surjit Singh. He was suspended on charges of serious misconduct, for his alleged failure to ensure correct reporting, registration and investigation of the case involving three British nationals and for allegedly becoming a party to the misconduct of his subordinates.
Surjit Singh was chargesheeted for major penalty as he pleaded guilty to the charges. A penalty of stoppage of four increments with cumulative effect has been imposed on him, the Administration statement said. Surjit Singh has been posted as DSP (Detective) while Daya Nand becomes the Sub-divisional Police Officer (Central), it was added.
