CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police on Thursday registered a rape case against its controversial officer Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh. The Gurdaspur police booked Singh on the charges of rape and corruption.
Salwinder was in the spotlight after he alleged that he was abducted by Pakistani terrorists who later attacked the Pathankot Air Force base using his SUV early in January this year. He had been posted as SP (Headquarter) at Gurdaspur. After the Pathankot attack, Singh was shifted from Gurdaspur and posted as Assistant Commandant of Punjab Armed Police in Jalandhar. After the registration of the rape case, Singh is reportedly absconding and police teams have been despatched to various places to nab him.
A few days ago, a man, Rajnesh Kumar, had filed a complaint with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during the sangat darshan programme in Gurdaspur, alleging that his wife had been repeatedly raped by Singh on the pretext of giving a clean chit to Kumar in a criminal case registered against him. During the initial inquiry, it was found that Singh was the investigation officer in a criminal case against Kumar some time back. Kumar alleged that his wife had approached Singh to get justice for her husband.
“Salwinder Singh had reportedly asked Kumar’s wife to pay `50,000. It is alleged that Singh had raped the woman many times on the promise of giving her husband a clean chit in the case,’’ said a police officer.
In another complaint filed by five woman constables posted in Gurdaspur, sexual harassment committee of Punjab police had summoned Salwinder for August 5 to respond to the allegations levelled against him.
He had been asked to appear before Inspector General of Police Gurpreet Deo, who heads the committee. Last month, the five women constables deposed before the committee. They had also submitted a signed statement reiterating their allegation that Singh used to harass them.
Singh had questioned by the NIA officials over his abduction claims following inconsistencies in his version of the abduction and that of his companions.