The Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police has reportedly arrested former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Rachhpal Singh in connection with a long-standing drug case dating back to 2017. The Jalandhar ANTF unit carried out the arrest after securing his remand from a local court, though officials have yet to issue formal confirmation.
The case originates from August 3, 2017, when Balwinder Singh was apprehended by the then Special Task Force (STF) of Amritsar from Civil Hospital Patti and booked for alleged drug smuggling. Sources allege that 1 kg of heroin was planted on him, falsely claiming he sourced the contraband from Pakistan, alongside three other implicated individuals.
Following the filing of a supplementary chargesheet, Balwinder Singh petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court for an independent investigation. A detailed review of CDRs and CCTV footage later revealed discrepancies in the 2017 operation.
In November 2019, the High Court directed then-DGP Pramod Ban to conduct an inquiry, which submitted findings in December 2020 highlighting inconsistencies in the operation. Consequently, in January 2021, the case was handed over to the CBI, which concluded that the heroin had actually been seized from Gurjant Singh alias Sonu, but was falsely recorded as taken from Balwinder Singh. Gurjant Singh was reportedly released, while Balwinder Singh was wrongly framed using fabricated evidence.
The arrest of Rachhpal Singh marks a significant step in addressing alleged misconduct and wrongful targeting by law enforcement in high-profile drug cases.
