Punjab Vigilance Bureau leaves out key accomplice of AIG Kapoor in Rs 1 crore extortion case

RAJINDER S. TAGGAR

New Delhi, Oct 16: Questions are now being raised about the Vigilance Bureau's investigation into the AIG Ashish Kapoor extortion case as the role of one of his key accomplices, Samar Singh, DSP (Cyber Crime) has been left out from purview of the FIR.

The complainant-cum-source in the case, Poonam Rajan has been alleging in her statements repeatedly before the former IG Kunwar Partap and different courts that Ashish Kapoor accompanied by Samar Singh had raided her residence in Kurukshetra and that of her relatives to "loot money". The duo had also raided her acquaintances in Gurgaon in 2018.

According to her Rs 2 crore cash and 450 grams of gold were taken away by the now-arrested AIG and the DSP. But, intriguingly the Vigilance Bureau did not name Samar Singh in the FIR. He is now on ex-India leave, reportedly in Canada.

To prove the veracity of her statements, Poonam has been telling the police that Samar Singh had recorded a video in Zirakpur police station in May 2018 when Ashish Kapoor thrashed her during her police custody. This confirmed the presence of Samar Singh at Zirakpur police station, thereby also establishing the fact that Ashish's DSP friend was neck-deep in the extortion operation.

Sources reveal that Samar Singh allegedly struck a deal with the Vigilance Bureau to provide all information against his one-time chum Ashish Kapoor. Under this deal, Samar is reported to have also handed over the same video recorded by him at the Zirakpur police station showing the AIG beating Poonam.

Based on this very video, Samar reportedly blackmailed Ashish Kapoor to extract money from him, family sources alleged.

It is learnt that though the Vigilance Bureau did not take action against Samar due to the deal - which holds no sanctity before the law - now information had also surfaced before the Vigilance Bureau about DSP's wrongdoings and accumulation of disproportionate assets by misusing his position. The VB did not make it clear yet as to what action it proposed to take against Samar.

Now Samar is calling up his friends in the police department requesting them to keep a watch on how VB proceeds in the matter and whether an FIR is being registered against him.

Family sources of Ashish Kapoor while terming allegations of Poonam as false revealed that Kapoor got himself sterilised many years before being posted as Superintendent of Amritsar Jail belying her claim that she got pregnant in Amritsar jail after she was raped.

ADGP Sharad Satya Chauhan, Chairman of the four-member Special Investigation Team which gave Ashish Kapoor a clean chit appeared before the Police Complaints Authority on Friday and recorded his statement. The complainant Poonam and VB DSP Barjinder Singh Gill also recorded their statements. AIG's accomplice Samar Singh was also served a notice to appear but as he was in Canada, he could not record his statement.

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--indianarrative