| Ludhiana |
Updated: February 17, 2020 12:31:56 pm
Kulwinder Singh
Six years ago, Moga police head constable Kulwinder Singh had been arrested for firing around 75 rounds in the air on Diwali night using a weapon he obtained illegally. However, he was not dismissed from service.
His son Manpreet Singh has also been booked in three FIRs in the past for allegedly participating in gang wars and helping dreaded gangster Davinder Singh Bambiha escape from police custody in 2015.
After the Sunday incident, the Moga-1 city police station in-charge submitted a ‘note’ to the Moga SSP on the father-son’s criminal background.
According to the report, an FIR was registered against Kulwinder on October 25, 2014, when he was booked for allegedly taking weapons from the police armoury to his home and then firing at least 75 rounds in the air on Diwali night. The note (a copy of which is with The Indian Express), says: “On the night of October 24, 2014, two boys aged 16-17 years were standing outside Police Lines Moga and from them an AK-47 rifle, two magazines, 25 live bullets and a 9-mm pistol were recovered by ASI Ranjit Singh…When questioned they said they were ferrying these arms and ammunition from the residence of Kulwinder Singh (who was then posted as in-charge armoury at Moga Police Lines)…These arms and ammunition were then submitted back in the armoury…on checking armoury records it was found that these weapons were not officially issued in the name of any police staffer or armour Kulwinder Singh…”
It further said: “On being questioned, Kulwinder Singh confessed that he without taking any permission from his seniors, took weapons and ammunition from armoury to his home, and fired at least 75 rounds from AK-47, one by one, but did not harm anyone…Next day he called constable Sharanjit Singh to inform that he will submit the weapons back. However, the next day, he sent his son and his friend to deposit weapons in armoury and himself kept sitting in the car outside…It was a gross act of indiscipline…”
Consequently, on the orders of the Moga SSP and an inquiry, an FIR against Kulwinder Singh was registered at Moga city-1 police station under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) of IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act. He was arrested on October 25, 2014.
The note however adds that later Kulwinder submitted a plea for ‘re-investigation’ in the case to IG Bathinda zone and re-enquiry was then conducted by then Ferozepur SP (Investigation) Rachhpal Singh, who gave him a clean chit. On basis of the report, Moga police prepared a cancellation report in the case on March 1, 2017, which was approved by then Moga city DSP Ajay Raj Singh on March 2, 2017. It was then accepted by the court of CJM Bikramjit Singh on July 26, 2017.
Moga SP (investigation) Harinderpal Singh Parmar said, “Kulwinder was booked in this case for allegedly opening fire with weapons that he took away illegally from armoury in 2014, but later was given clean chit in re-enquiry and court accepted the cancellation report. He might have been suspended then after his arrest but wasn’t dismissed from police services.”
Three other FIRs are registered at Moga city-1 police station against Kulwinder’s son Manpreet, including one for allegedly helping gangster Davinder Singh Bambiha escape from police custody in 2015.
Manpreet was booked under sections 223/224/225 of IPC on January 20, 2015, for allegedly helping Bambiha escape when he was being ferried from Ludhiana Central Jail to Muktsar. Bambiha was later killed in an encounter by Bathinda police in September 2016.
Two more FIRs were registered against Manpreet — one in February 2017 and another in April 2017 — under sections 452, 506, 323, 148, 149 of IPC. All three have his accomplice Harsimran Singh Simma as co-accused and have been categorised in ‘gang war’ as modus operandi.
“Manpreet was arrested in all three cases and acquitted in Bambiha case in March 2016. In two other cases, he is still an undertrial,” said Inspector Gurpreet Singh, SHO Moga city-1 police station.
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