Could Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh be arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)? Sources in the NIA have told The Quint that they may question him further as they remain unsatisfied with his answers so far. In fact, there have been discrepancies in his statements from day one. To plug the loopholes the agency had earlier summoned Singh’s cook Madan Gopal to verify the sequence of events. Both Singh and Gopal have claimed to have been released together by the terrorists on January 1.
Here, in a nutshell, is why SP Salwinder Singh is in trouble:
1. Inconsistent Statements Trigger Doubts:
There are inconsistencies in the statements of Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal. While Verma received injuries from the terrorists, Singh and Gopal had none.
2. Driver Hurt, Singh Unhurt
The driver of innova, Ikagar Singh, whose antecedents are not above board, was killed by the terrorists while SP Singh was let off unharmed.
3. What Happened Between 9:30 pm and 12:30 am?
The SP allegedly left the shrine at 9.30 pm. He claims he was accosted by the terrorists soon after and released around 12.30 am. What transpired in those three hours between Singh and the terrorists?
4. The SP Was Carrying Four Numbers
The SP was carrying three mobile phones, one with a dual SIM one. One could question why a police officer would carry four numbers?
5. Why Was There a Gap of Three Hours Before The First Call?
Out of the three mobile phones, two were snatched by the terrorists and one was left with him. Why didn’t the SP immediately call his seniors on that phone? Why did he wait three hours before making the first call?
6. Why Didn’t the SP Try to Reach Higher-Ups?
Why didn’t the SP call higher-ups in the Punjab Police when he got no response from his immediate seniors?
7. Suspicions of Involvement in the Drug Racket
The SP’s closeness to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur’s brother and Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia is raising suspicions on his involvement in the state’s drug racket.
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