Chandigarh: The Punjab Police on Thursday arrested dismissed Assistant Inspector General Raj Jit Singh Hundal in Patiala, ending a three-year manhunt in cases linked to an alleged police–drug trafficking nexus, extortion and disproportionate assets.
Singh, who had recently conveyed to the Supreme Court through his lawyer that he was ready to surrender, was nabbed from a residence in Darshan Singh Nagar in Patiala, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed.
“Hundal was apprehended from House Number 225/2, Darshan Singh Nagar, Patiala, under Police Station Anaj Mandi,” Yadav said.
“Singh was arrested following continuous, highly technical and financial investigation by the ANTF team,” the DGP said, adding that police would seek his remand from the competent court in connection with the cases against him.
Multiple Cases, Proclaimed Offender
Singh has been on the run since April 2023 and was sacked from the Punjab Police on April 17, 2023, after the state government acted on findings of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) that probed an alleged collusion between police personnel and drug traffickers, as reported by The Statesman.
He stands declared a proclaimed offender in an FIR lodged at the ANTF police station invoking sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Arms Act.
In addition, he is booked in a separate ANTF case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the NDPS Act, and faces another FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau over allegations of assets disproportionate to his known income.
Drug Nexus & Court Proceedings
The allegations partly arise from Singh’s purported links with dismissed Punjab Police inspector Inderjit Singh and the handling of narcotics-related cases during their respective tenures in the state.
Inderjit Singh was thrown out of the force after being accused of involvement in drug trafficking, siphoning off seized narcotics and framing individuals by planting drugs to extort money. Raj Jit Singh has been accused of shielding him and acting in conspiracy with him. The allegations against Raj Jit Singh have not been finally adjudicated.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier scrutinised reports submitted by SITs constituted to investigate the alleged police–drug nexus. In March 2023, the court opened three sealed-cover reports and directed the state government to take action based on their findings.
Following this, the Punjab government dismissed Raj Jit Singh from service and initiated criminal proceedings against him.
His arrest follows a recent development before the Supreme Court.
During a hearing on September 10, senior counsel appearing for Singh informed a bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Augustine George Masih that the petitioner was willing to surrender.
The Supreme Court told Singh to surrender and postponed the case to October 1.
He had gone to the top court against an earlier Punjab and Haryana High Court order and asked for the probe to be moved from Punjab Police to another agency, saying he would not get a fair investigation from the state police.
After the arrest, Punjab Police said it would seek his custodial remand for further questioning in the cases against him.