CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has suspended Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh, who was accused of “failing to address escalating gangster activities effectively’’ and perceived lapses in tackling organised crime.
Sources point out that the government reviewed recent incidents and inputs from multiple agencies before taking the decision to suspend Singh. The action comes after reports highlighted delays in action on several significant cases and a lack of effective ground-level response against criminal gangs.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had stated that any laxity in dealing with criminals “would not be tolerated’’. During the Tarn Taran bypoll campaign, national convener of AAP Arvind Kejriwal had pledged to eliminate gangsterism from Punjab, warning those involved “to exit the state within a week’’.
The AAP-led Punjab Government has been criticised by opposition parties over perceived lapses in maintaining law and order.
Singh, a 2019-batch IPS officer, was earlier posted as Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Amritsar Police Commissionerate and, prior to that, he was Superintendent of Police in Tarn Taran district.
Before the Tarn Taran by-elections, the Election Commission had suspended Senior Superintendent of Police of Tarn Taran, Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal, just three days before voting. The Shiromani Akali Dal had complained to the State Chief Electoral Officer, alleging that she was acting under political influence and registering false cases against its workers.