Punjab DGP sets up 2 SITs to fast-track hooch tragedy FIRs

Chandigarh: Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta on Wednesday ordered constitution of two Special Investigation Teams (SITs) to fast-track investigations in all the FIRs registered in the hooch tragedy.  ADGP Law & Order Ishwar Singh will supervise both the SIT investigations.

The Punjab Police has registered a total of five FIRs - 3 in Tarn Taran, 1 each in Amritsar Rural and Batala, in the case. DGP Dinkar Gupta said SP-level officers have, for the first time, been nominated as Investigating Officers (IOs) for these cases to ensure conviction of the offenders.

The IOs have been directed by the DGP to ensure thorough and comprehensive investigations to unravel the entire backward and forward linkages both inside and outside the State of Punjab under the supervision of the SIT. IOs shall also be responsible for filing Final Report(s) in the concerned courts under their own signatures expeditiously, said the DGP.

While DIG Ferozepur Range Ferozepur Hardial Singh Mann will head the SIT for investigating FIRs registered in Tarn Taran, IG Border Range Amritsar Surinder Pal Singh Parmar would be leading the SIT investigating the FIRs registered in Amritsar and Batala.

The other members of the Taran Taran SIT are SSP Tarn Taran, Dhruman Nimbale, along with SP (Investigation) Tarn Taran, Jagjit Singh Walia, who has been nominated as Investigating Officer. 

SSP Amritsar (Rural) Dhruv Dahiya, Gaurav Toora and SP Investigation, Amritsar (Rural) (nominated as Investigating Officer for FIR no.109 dt. 30.7.20, PS Tarsikka) alongwith SSP Batala Rachpal Singh, Tejbir Singh, SP Investigation Batala (nominated Investigating Officer in FIR no. 201 dt. 31.7.2020, PS City Batala) are members of the second SIT. 

The chairmen of the SITs have been authorized to seek and obtain the support and assistance of any officer/Wing/Unit of the Punjab Police, or any department of the Punjab government, or any specialized institutions/labs or experts for ensuring proper recording of evidence and making out a foolproof case to secure conviction of the guilty. The advice of the Law/Prosecuting officers would be taken at different stages of the investigation, said the DGP.