Amritsar, May 26
The state Home Department is planning to initiate action against senior police officers, involved in the state-managed surrender of a self-styled chief of Khalistan Commando Force, Wassan Singh Zaffarwal (a close relative of beleaguered former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah).
Though Zaffarwal had made dramatic appearance at Amritsar International Airport on April 10, The Tribune had already carried a page 1 news item “Zaffarwal may surrender” in its edition of March 31 (10 days before the high-level drama). According to sources, Langah had sought the help of senior police officials of the border range to facilitate the ‘smooth arrest’ of Zaffarwal at the behest of Langah. Strangely enough, the police had allowed Zaffarwal to dodge the immigration authorities at Raja Sansi Airport.
The Majitha police had arrested Zaffarwal outside the local bus stand though the eyewitnesses who saw the state-managed drama of his arrest were at variance with the police hand out given to the press on the morning of April 11. So much so the then IG (border range) had denied the version of the eyewitnesses and claimed that the police had prior information that Zaffarwal would reach the city as he had boarded a bus from Jalandhar last evening (April 10).
The state Home Department has also sought details about the cases registered against Sucha Singh Langah (close relative of Zaffarwal) from the border range. The senior police officials who pleaded anonymity said in 2001, the former minister had again developed active relationship with the KCF chief, a dreaded terrorist of the ’80s. The state police is also collecting information about the reported harbouring of Zaffarwal by the minister in his official residence in Sector 39 of Chandigarh.
Lately, the Gurdaspur police has once again put the name of Langah in the bad character’s list after the formation of the Congress government.
Police sources said a number of criminal cases were registered against him under various Sections of the IPC at police stations of Gurdaspur and Batala before he was declared ‘bad character number 10’. These cases were registered against him in the ’70s. Interestingly when Langah became an MLA and Member, SGPC, his history sheet was converted into a personal file keeping in view his position in the Cabinet. He was declared a BC (bad character) in December 19, 1972.
The sources pointed out that Langah who owned a few acres of land in the ’70s, became billionaire after his elevation to the Punjab Cabinet.
