25 yrs later, 3 cops booked for missing 9-mm stengun along with 20 bullets

Ludhiana: Nearly 25 years after a 9-mm stengun along with 20 bullets went missing, the Ludhiana rural police has registered an FIR against three of its officers, of whom one has retired and two are still in service.

The FIR was registered against then head constable Jagroop Singh (now retired), head constable Rajinder Pal Singh and SPO Ajit Singh.

“While Rajinder Pal Singh is now serving as an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Khanna Police, Ajit Singh is a head constable posted at Ludhiana rural Police Lines,” said inspector Rupinder Kaur, SHO of Sadar Raikot police station, where the FIR has been registered.

Earlier, the Ludhiana rural police had given a clean chit to the three cops and said that the weapon was lost due to their “carelessness” and they had no other ill-intention. The cops were also ordered to deposit double the amount of the weapon’s cost and



ammunition. However, the office of Director General of Police (DGP) rejected this order and ordered registration of FIR against the cops.

The matter came to the fore in 2004 after the department conducted an audit of the weapons. They found a stengun along with 20 bullets that had gone missing in 1997, following which an investigation was initiated.

During investigation, it was found that the stengun along with the bullets were issued to three cops who were deputed in the security of Manjit Singh of Jagraon road of Raikot. However, they lost the weapon. The department tried to trace the weapon but it was never found.

Ludhiana rural SSP Harjeet Singh said that following the orders from DGP office, an FIR under Section 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) of IPC was lodged against the three cops. They are yet to be arrested.