INITIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALS ACCUSED HAD LURED 11 PERSONS WITH PROMISE OF POLICE JOBS
CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 28: Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further probe the recruitment racket busted with the arrest of Harinder Singh alias Babbu-12 bore, who had allegedly duped 11 people with the promise of police jobs.
The role of the other accused involved in the racket will be probed further by the SIT, according to a police spokesperson, who disclosed that investigations so far had revealed that Harinder had duped at least 11 persons to the tune of nearly Rs. 70 lakh on the pretext of recruiting them into the police department.
The SIT will work under the supervision of IG Patiala Range, with SSPs of Amritsar Rural, Mohali, Barnala, Sangrur and Patiala, as its Members.
It may be recalled that Harinder Singh was arrested on the complaint of ASI Parminder Singh on December 20 for duping people for recruitment in the Punjab Police department. A FIR no. 157 dated 20/12/2019 u/s 419,420,467,468,471,120B IPC & 66D IT Act, Police Station Tapa, Barnala District, had been registered. The accused had duped the complainant Parminder Singh of Rs. 40 lakhs as per his complaint.
Divulging the modus operandi of the accused, the spokesperson revealed that Harinder Singh belonged to an agricultural family in district Patiala, and used to operate from a flat in Kharar, Mohali and Patiala. He pretended to be a Sub Inspector in Punjab Police, claiming that he was dealing in secret operations and hence did not wear police uniform. The accused would prepare and give fake appointment letters to the innocent victims, in exchange of money.
During the investigation, the police had recovered from Harinder original certificates of the complainants, Rs 3,00,000/- in cash, and the accused’s mobile phone with SIM card used in it.
A Pajero car (PB-08-CT-0027) was being used by the accused during the commission of the offence and the same has been seized, along with digital evidence in the form of the computer systems of a Cyber Café located in Sector 35-C, Chandigarh, which was used for printing of fake joining letters and DO letters given to the complainants.
During interrogation, Harinder told the police that he had spent Rs. 40.60 lakh for purchase of the Pajero car, repayment of debt taken for the treatment of his daughter, rent of accommodation in Palm Villa in New Delhi, among other things.
Notably, several FIRs have been registered in various districts of the Punjab against Harinder Singh @ Babbu-12bore. On the complaint of ASI Surinder Singh, who was cheated of Rs. 8 lakhs, FIR # 242 dated 24/12/2019 u/s 420, 34 IPC has been registered in police station Sadar of Sangrur. An FIR # 327 dated 24/12/2019 u/s 420,467,468,471 IPC was registered in police station Lehra of Sangrur on the complaint of Kuldeep Sharma of Lehra, who was cheated of around Rs. 4 lakhs.
Another FIR # 199 dated 24/12/2019 u/s 420,467,468,471 IPC was registered in police station Urban Estate, Patiala, on the complaint of Seema r/o Patiala, who was duped of Rs. 6.8 lakhs.
Similarly, FIR # 150 dated 26/12/19 u/s 419,420,467,468,120B IPC had been registered in police station Mehta in District Amritsar Rural on the complaint of Budhsewak Singh, who was cheated of Rs. 7 lakhs, for recruitment as constable in the Police department.
