Surjit Singh is currently posted with Moga traffic police.
A Punjab police head constable was arrested with drugs and cache of ammunition from his residence in village Kanian Kalan of sub-division Dharamkot in district Moga Thursday evening. Shockingly, it was not the first time that this policeman, identified as Surjit Singh and currently posted with Moga traffic police, was arrested. A few years back, he was named in an FIR at Mansa after illegal ammunition (200 rounds of 9 mm bullets) was recovered from him.
He was also dismissed from police services but reinstated a again few months back. Acting on a tip-off, the Ludhiana rural police conducted a joint raid with Moga police at his residence Thursday late. The police claimed recovery of 250 grams of heroin, apart from a cache of ammunition. Speaking to The Indian Express, Jasvir Singh, DSP Dharamkot, said that earlier also the suspect was booked under Arms Act, dismissed from police services and reinstated later.
“He was booked under Arms Act after recovery of 200 rounds of 9 mm bullets which are for restricted use by policemen only. He had kept them illegally after stealing them from the police department. He was dismissed from services and reinstated a few months back.” The interrogation of the suspect is going on and he was sent to one-day police remand on Friday. The initial probe has revealed he used to consume as well as sell drugs.
“His family is claiming he is innocent, but we have evidence of his involvement in the drug business. He used to get drugs for his personal use as well as for selling it to others. He also used to be absent from his duty for hours and often came for duty under influence. We are interrogating him further about his links with drug suppliers and his customers,” said DSP. Meanwhile, the police have recovered at least 8 magazines of high-calibre weapons from the suspect, including three of SLR, one of AK-47, one of sten gun, two of carbine and one of 7.62 mm rifle.
Also, 62 live cartridges of AK-47 weapon have been recovered along with a breechblock and a bolt of 7.62 mm rifle. “We are investigating that from where he got access to this ammunition and for what purpose and if they were stolen from police department,” the DSP said. The FIR against the suspect has been filed under the NDPS Act at Dharamkot police station.
