Senior Punjab Police officers face corruption and misconduct allegations amid growing scandal in Fazilka district.
NEW DEHLI: Corruption and misconduct allegations against senior officers of the Punjab police have converged into a deepening scandal, with SSP Varinder Singh Brar and SHO Manjit Singh of Fazilka emerging as central figures in both a bribery case and the alleged unlawful arrest of an NRI.
The Punjab government this week suspended Brar for failing to act on corruption under his command, even as the Punjab and Haryana High Court examines contempt charges and due process violations involving the same set of officers.
These parallel developments underscore a broader pattern of abuse of power in Fazilka, a sensitive border district. Anubhav Khanna, an NRI from Haryana employed in the UAE, told The Sunday Guardian that officers from Fazilka’s Cyber Crime police Station demanded a bribe to suppress a matrimonial case filed against him. He said that Manjit Singh pressured him for money while in custody, urging an out-of-court settlement. Khanna further alleged that police unlawfully detained him at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on December 18, 2024, without serving the mandatory notice under Section 41-A of the CrPC and handcuffed him during his transfer to Fazilka.
This episode is linked to a broader alleged corruption case in the same police unit. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau recently arrested four officers—including Manjit Singh—for allegedly accepting a Rs 1 lakh bribe to suppress a complaint involving a minor’s mobile phone. The complaint had been raised by the child’s father, Dharminder Singh, who had also formally informed Brar.
No action followed, and Brar’s failure to intervene is a primary reason behind his suspension. Crucially, the same officers—Brar, Manjit Singh, and others—are now facing contempt proceedings in the Punjab and Haryana High Court based on Khanna’s case.
The ongoing court matter also names SP Operations Karanwir Singh, DSP (D) Balkar Singh, and Senior Constables Rajpal Singh and Sumit Kumar.
The High Court, in its order dated May 22, 2025, observed a prima facie case of serious violations and directed Brar and Manjit Singh to appear. While Manjit Singh attended the May 27 hearing, Brar did not. The next hearing is set for July 10, 2025. Khanna, embroiled in a matrimonial dispute since 2021, claims the FIR against him was weaponised by his estranged wife to coerce a financial settlement.
He accuses police of denying him food, water, and dignity during transit, violating both Supreme Court guidelines and constitutional safeguards. His lawyer, Ritu Punj, termed the arrest a “blatant violation of constitutional norms.” Despite multiple written complaints and RTI responses submitted to Brar—including claims that Fazilka Cyber police Station lacks CCTV coverage in violation of Supreme Court orders—no action was taken.
These developments have once again put the spotlight on alleged police misconduct in sensitive border districts like Fazilka, which shares a boundary with Pakistan. Both the criminal probe and High Court proceedings are ongoing, with further departmental action expected in the coming days.