Will explore legal options against those maligning me, says Punjab DGP Suresh Arora

Punjab director general of police Suresh Arora on Thursday condemned the vested interests trying to erode the credibility and morale of the police by launching a malicious and baseless campaign against him and other top officers of the force, and said he would explore all legal options against those engaged in the “spiteful conspiracy”.

Breaking his silence, Arora told journalists here that during his career spanning 36 years, he had not supported any police officer involved in any criminal or corrupt activity.

The top cop said he had been forced to break his silence as he felt that the various aspersions on his character and official conduct were not only an attack on his unblemished reputation but were also affecting the morale of the police force. However, he refused to comment on the specific allegations that had been made before the high court as the matter was sub-judice.

The DGP’s statement came two days after an AAP delegation led by leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira submitted a memorandum to Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore to seek probe CBI or a judicial commission comprising a sitting judge of the high court into the alleged “role, connivance and complicity of top policemen with drug mafia”.

The opposition party had specifically named Arora and controversial former Moga SSP Raj Jit Singh among others in its memorandum. A case related to Raj Jit’s alleged complicity with drug traffickers is coming up in Punjab and Haryana high court on July 25.

Declaring that he would do whatever was required to defend his reputation and that of his force, Arora said the half-baked accusations being published, highlighted and circulated by vested interests for furtherance of their objectives also had direct and serious implications for national security.

This became even more pertinent in view of the fact that Punjab was a border state with its neighbouring country constantly trying to cause disruption, insurrection and destabilisation in the state as well as the Indian nation-state, he said.

‘Raj Jit not my blue-eyed boy’

Asked specifically about Raj Jit, Arora said he had never worked with the officer and the issue pertained to 2013, when he was not even the DGP. He denied that Raj Jit was his blue-eyed boy and made it clear that if the officer was found to be involved in any criminal activity, he would have to face the consequences under the law. However, he reiterated that the zero-tolerance policy on drugs and other heinous crimes would not be compromised under any circumstances.