Chandigarh, Apr 19 (PTI) The Punjab government has directed the state police chief to examine the role of police officers who have directly or indirectly helped in drug trafficking, according to an official order.

The direction came after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ordered the dismissal of Punjab Police Service (PPS) officer Raj Jit Singh, acting on SIT reports highlighting an alleged nexus between police officers and drug traffickers in the state.

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Three sealed cover reports regarding the role of police officials in the drug trade in the state were opened by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 28.

These reports were submitted in 2018 by the then DGP S Chattopadhyaya SIT, formed on the directions of the court.

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The SIT, formed in 2017, had the mandate to probe allegations of complicity of Raj Jit Singh, the then senior superintendent of police of Moga, in respect of his alleged association with dismissed police inspector Inderjit Singh.

Inderjit Singh was dismissed following the recovery of drugs by the special task force in 2017 and the FIR was registered against him.

According to an order of the home affairs department dated April 17, the director general of police has been asked to depute a senior IPS officer to conduct an investigation into the 2017 FIR registered by the STF.

The order also stated, "the SIT reports show that Sh. Raj Jit Singh PPS was hand in glove with Inderjit Singh. Therefore, he should also be nominated as an accused u/s 120-B of IPC in the same FIR."

While conducting the investigation, all the three reports of the SIT should be taken into account, the order of the home affairs department asked the DGP.

"The Investigating Officer should examine the role of all concerned Police officers, howsoever highly placed they may be, who have directly or indirectly helped in drug trafficking/smuggling," it said.

The investigating officer should be directed to conclude the investigation within a month and submit the report, it further said.

The order further stated that it is not possible for a low-rank inspector (Inderjit Singh) to run such a huge network of extortion and drug trafficking alone.

"Action should be taken against the senior officers who approved transfers/promotions/grant of local rank to Inderjit Singh on the recommendations of Raj Jit Singh PPS.

"It appears from the investigation conducted by the SIT that Inderjit Singh was the favourite of many police officers. Therefore, please report within 3 days as to whether any other SSP/IPS officer had requested for posting of Inderjit Singh with him," it said.

This is being issued with the approval of the chief minister, the order stated.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)