Facing probe over PM security breach, DGP Chattopadhyaya in eye of storm again

CHANDIGARH: Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, a 1986-batch IPS officer, who is facing probe for the Prime Minister's major security breach in Ferozepur, is again in the eye of the storm — now for "taking orders from criminals" while working as the police chief.

Leaked audio tapes of Chattopadhyaya's purported conversation with a dismissed cop Sarabjit Singh, a proclaimed offender in the multi-crore drug racket, have put him on the spot.

It is learnt that Sarabjit Singh gave 'instructions' to Chattopadhyaya for appointments in the name of cracking whip on drug cartels, shifting notorious prisoners and also for posting certain officials on sensitive postings to recover explosives delivered from Pakistan. Interestingly, hours before the model code of conduct for assembly elections came into force on January 8, the Congress government replaced Chattopadhyaya, who assumed additional charge as Director General of Police (DGP) on December 17 last year, with 1987-batch IPS officer Viresh Kumar Bhawra as the state's DGP. Sensing sensitivity over the issue, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal has sought a first information report (FIR) be registered against Chattopadhyaya for taking orders from criminals.

He said the tapes proved that the DGP was working in league with drug smugglers. He said a tape had surfaced which had the DGP talking to a proclaimed offender in the Bhola drug case. "During the course of this conversation the PO instructed the DGP regarding transfer and posting of certain police officers, shifting of notorious prisoners from one jail to another and creating an illegal detention centre in Mohali," the SAD chief said in a statement.

Asserting that Chattopadhyaya's cordial relations with drug baron Jagdish Bhola were now also out in the open, the former Deputy Chief Minister said, "It is now also clear that this police officer was working in league with drug smugglers as well as well as tainted police officers. Due action should be taken against him as per law."

Badal said now it was also clear as to why Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had gone out of his way to appoint Chattopadhyaya as the state DGP even though he was not eligible to hold this post. (IANS)

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