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Absconding Punjab IG Cheema suspended
Influential politicians ‘protecting’ him
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 13
The Punjab Government on Saturday suspended the absconding Inspector General of Police, Gautam Cheema, who was booked for kidnapping a proclaimed offender Sumedh Gulati from the Mohali police custody last month. The Department of Home Affairs issued the suspension orders on the directions of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, said sources.

The state government was facing flak for not taking action against Cheema who hasn’t attended his office for the past 12 days.

Sumedh Gulati is a co-accused along with alleged conman Devinder Gill in a fraud case. Delhi-based trader Yashpal Gupta has accused Gill and Gulati of cheating him in the name of providing him a farm house in the controversial Sky Heights project

A government spokesperson claimed that Cheema has been suspended to ensure free and fair probe into cases filed against him. Under the Punishment and Appeals rules, the state government is supposed to suspend an employee, who remains absent from duty without notice.

The spokesperson said during the suspension period, Cheema’s headquarter would be the office of the Director General of Police, Punjab (Chandigarh). The Mohali police said raids were being conducted to nab him but his whereabouts were not known.

Seeking his immediate arrest, the two complainants against Cheema — Kricpy Khera ( wife of an Devinder Gill) and Maninder Kaur (wife of Devinder’s accomplice Sumedh Gulati) — today claimed that several high-profile politicians from Punjab and Haryana were trying to save the IG. They said they would name the politicians at an appropriate time and with evidence. Alleging threat to their life, the two women said the state government has withdrawn the police security given to them.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into all cases against Gill, the two women alleged the vigilance probe has failed to deliver justice to them. “The IG always threatened us that he would come out clean and destroy Devinder, his family and friends,” they alleged.

Kricpy played an audio recording of her phone conversation with Cheema in which he (IG) allegedly threatened physical harm to the two women. She claimed Mohali cops knew about the whereabouts of the absconding cop, but they were not making efforts to catch him.

‘Cheema threatened us’

The two women complainants, Kricpy Khera and Maninder Kaur, on Saturday alleged threat to their lives from IG Gautam Cheema. They claimed the state government has withdrawn their security

The IG has threatened to destroy us, they said.

Kricpy said Mohali cops knew about the whereabouts of the absconding cop, but they were not making efforts to catch him.