Salwinder Singh, who is presently undergoing trial by media rightly or wrongly, is the only linchpin available to investigators of the Pathankot terror attacks. For this reason, he is an important pawn on the strategic chessboard with Pakistan.
Yes, he is merely a pawn as the facts available thus far do not establish anything beyond that. But he may well be an important pawn as the Pakistani military establishment whose signatures can be seen on the Pathankot terror attack can’t be expected to be foolish enough to let their entire story and screenplay of Pathankot be known to an Indian police officer. Even if, for the sake of presuming the worst, Salwinder is compromised.
And yes, Salwinder Singh may be in the doghouse but his arrest, if at all it takes place, can’t be expected any time soon.
The Arrest Dilemma
- Salwinder Singh issue is a classic example of public perception versus legally admissible evidence.
- Investigators not sure if Salwinder was hand-in-glove with the drug mafia.
- Investigators need credible evidence to prove that Salwinder was in touch with perpetrators of the Pathankot attack.
- NIA needs to obtain legally admissible evidence against Salwinder to arrest him or press any charges against him.
SP Salwinder, a Prime Suspect?
Is senior Punjab police officer Salwinder Singh a prime suspect in the Pathankot terror attack? This is the prime question confronting the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has been quizzing Singh for days.
The Salwinder Singh issue is a classic example of public perception driven by emotional arguments versus legally admissible evidence and operational requirements.
The former is largely what the general perception is about Singh which may or may not be backed by solid evidence. Those who are making emotional arguments have already pinned down Salwinder Singh as a prime suspect who has been in cahoots with the ubiquitous yet opaque drug cartel that has been very active across the international border in Punjab for years. They wonder why he has not been arrested yet.
The other side of the argument pertains to legal-operational requirements and compulsions of statecraft. This is more intricate and a bit convoluted even.
The investigators are indeed spooked by the manner in which he was detained and later released by terrorists who attacked the Pathankot air base hours after hijacking his car which was equipped with a blue beacon. Singh has given shifting statements and has not been able to satisfy the investigators about his movements on New Year day. The circumstantial evidence is against him.
Moreover, his phone records have shown that he has been in constant touch with drug pedlars, a fact which he has not denied but asserted that they were his ‘informers’. There is nothing wrong with police officials being in touch with criminals as long as such contacts are being used for eliciting information, not for criminal activities.
No Credible Evidence Yet
The most vital part is that the investigators have thus far been unable to get any solid evidence on two counts:
- whether he was hand-in-glove with the drug mafia or had given safe passage to peddlers in lieu of pecuniary considerations, and
- whether he was in touch with perpetrators of the Pathankot attack or even had prior information about the upcoming terror attack.
Till the time that the NIA connects the dots and obtains legally admissible evidence against him, the agency is in no position to arrest him or press any charges against him. However, the investigators have not given him a clean chit either. That’s why he continues to be under detention and his status remains unclear.
It will still take some time for clarity to emerge on Salwinder Singh’s fate. His arrest, if at all that happens, is still a few moves away.
The first move is to subject him to a lie-detector test. If he flounders in this test then the security agencies may conduct searches on his premises. The result of these two processes will determine his status – whether he is a suspect or an accomplice or innocent.
Then there are intricate matters of statecraft and the inevitable questions having a serious impact on India-Pakistan relations.
Even if, presuming for argument’s sake, Salwinder turns out to be a black sheep, the investigators would wait before announcing his formal arrest. If he is found to be involved with the drug cartel or Pathankot terrorists or both, the investigators won’t be in a hurry to announce his arrest.
In that case, the investigators would like to get to the bottom of the Pathankot mystery and use him as a witness in the case as there aren’t many people in that category. One strategy may well be of using him as a prosecution witness.
But it will take some for the investigators to reach this stage. It is for these reasons that the fate of Salwinder Singh is still hanging in the balance. Clearly, the investigators are still undecided on the crucial question of whether to arrest or not to arrest Salwinder Singh.
(The writer is a New Delhi-based independent journalist and strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha.)
Read more on the Pathankot attack from The Quint’s coverage here.
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