Justice Shabihul Hasnain to probe charges against Punjab ex-DGP Sidharth Chattopadhyaya
Chandigarh, January 2
Justice Shabihul Hasnain, Chairperson of the Punjab PITNDPS Board and former UP High Court Judge, will probe charges against former DGP Sidharth Chattopadhyaya. He was accused of giving security to a rape accused proclaimed offender (PO) and keeping 40 gunmen for his own security in violation of the rules.
Justice Hasnain was appointed chairperson of the board for the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1988 (PITNDSPA).
Chattopadhyaya, during his tenure as Punjab DGP for about a month between December 2021 and January 2022, had allegedly provided police security to VP Singh of Ferozepur. He was allegedly a proclaimed offender in a rape case. The ex-DGP was earlier chargesheeted in the same matter.
Sources said the inquiry had been ordered following his reply to the chargesheet. The inquiry officer would ascertain the facts as per the charges and the counter-claims made by him.
The ex-DGP has been claiming that he was the victim of a vicious campaign as he had exposed the drugs smugglers’ network. “The person given the security was not a PO at that time and, moreover, he was given police security by the previous DGPs too,” he said.
On the allegation of keeping 40 security guards during and after he was shifted from the post of the DGP, Chattopadhyaya said he had never sought any special security and it was the government which provided him the guards.
