Dismissed Punjab Police Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Rajjit Singh Hundal has offered to surrender before the Supreme Court after remaining absconding for nearly three and a half years.
Rajjit has been on the run since April 2023, and the case against him involves allegations of a nexus between the police and drug smugglers. He has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order dated July 20 in the Supreme Court.
He has also sought the transfer of the investigation from the Punjab Police to another investigative agency, arguing that he would not receive a fair probe if the state police handled the matter.
During the hearing in the Supreme Court on September 10, Senior Advocate Amit Rawal, appearing for Rajjit, informed the bench that his client was ready to surrender.
A bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Augustine George Masih adjourned the matter and directed Rajjit to surrender in the interim. The Court clarified that he could file an appropriate application after surrendering. The next hearing is scheduled for October 1.
Case originated from a 2018 FIR
Rajjit Singh Hundal’s name surfaced in connection with a case involving dismissed Police Inspector Inderjit Singh. The Special Task Force (STF) had registered an FIR against Inderjit Singh on June 12, 2018, invoking Sections 120-B, 218, and 384 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 59 and 39 of the NDPS Act. As the investigation progressed, Rajjit was also named a co-accused in the case.
The case stemmed from allegations regarding Inderjit Singh’s role during his police service and his handling of drug-related investigations. Rajjit was accused of shielding Inderjit while serving as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Tarn Taran. At that time, Inderjit was posted as the CIA in-charge. Dismissal based on reports from three SITs.
Three Special Investigation Teams (SITs) were constituted to investigate the matter in compliance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Based on the reports from these SITs, the Punjab government dismissed Rajjit from police service in April 2023. The dismissal order cited allegations of collusion between Rajjit and Inderjit, as well as accusations of providing protection to drug smugglers.
According to the government order, more than 50 samples in NDPS cases had failed during the period when Rajjit served as the SSP of Tarn Taran and Inderjit was posted as the CIA in-charge.
Citing the SIT reports, the order stated that the two had allegedly misused the government machinery for their own interests and influenced the investigation into the FIR registered against Inderjit.
Allegations of implicating the innocent and shielding smugglers.
The dismissal order also accused Rajjit of misusing his position to shield drug smugglers from the law and to implicate innocent individuals in false drug-related cases.
The government order noted that the police department is a vital part of the justice system and that retaining such an officer in the department would not be appropriate.
Now, following Rajjit’s offer to surrender before the Supreme Court, the judicial process in the case has reached a crucial stage. The Supreme Court has directed him to surrender and has fixed October 1 as the date for the next hearing.
