The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has registered a case against an assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Human Rights Cell of the Punjab Police along with two others for alleged extortion and taking bribes from government employees, said officials.
The AIG has been identified as Malwinder Singh Sidhu, and the other two as Kuldeep Singh, a driver in the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department, and Balbir Singh, a resident of Alampur village in Patiala district.
Speaking on the matter, a spokesperson for the state, VB, said the AIG Sidhu used to initiate complaints against government employees, only to subsequently withdraw these complaints in the process of blackmailing and in exchange for illicit gains.
“On the basis of a vigilance enquiry, the VB has taken stringent legal measures, leading to the registration of FIR number 28, dated October 30, 2023, against all the above-mentioned accused under sections 7 and 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and under sections 384, 419, 420, and 120-B under Indian Penal Code at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Flying Squad-1, Punjab, Mohali,” said the Punjab VB.
He further informed that during the investigation, it was found that Malwinder Singh Sidhu, serving as AIG of Human Rights Cell, Punjab, since 2017, has never held the positions of AIG or IG within the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, over the past five years. This officer misused his government vehicle, Ertiga (PB 65 AD 1905), while fuel and other expenses were being drawn from the government account. However, he never maintained records of vehicle usage (a log book), which indicated a misuse of government property, he added. Furthermore, the investigation uncovered instances where AIG Sidhu falsely identified himself as the IG, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, to a data operator working at the office of the Block Primary Education Officer, Rajpura.
