Raj Jit Singh Arrest Punjab Police: Dismissed AIG Held in Patiala After Three Years
PATIALA, PUNJAB: The Raj Jit Singh arrest Punjab Police operation ended more than three years after dismissed Assistant Inspector General Raj Jit Singh Hundal went absconding in cases linked to allegations of a police-drug trafficker nexus, extortion and corruption.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed that the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) arrested Hundal at a house in Darshan Singh Nagar, Patiala, on Thursday morning, September 24. The arrest came after what the police described as sustained technical and financial investigation.
The details were reported by The New Indian Express, which quoted Yadav as confirming Hundal’s apprehension and saying investigators would seek his remand from the competent court.
Case Linked To Inderjit Singh Probe
The Punjab police drug nexus case dates back to the 2017 arrest of dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh in drug-related cases. A Special Investigation Team was subsequently constituted after allegations emerged about the conduct of police officials and their alleged links with Inderjit.
Investigators examined allegations involving the handling of narcotics cases, including claims of manipulation of evidence and forensic processes. Those allegations formed part of the investigation and are not, by themselves, a judicial finding that Hundal was guilty.
Hundal was dismissed from the Punjab Police in April 2023 following proceedings based on SIT reports opened by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was subsequently named as an accused in cases arising from the wider investigation.
Supreme Court Had Directed Him To Surrender
The dismissed cop Raj Jit Singh arrested development followed fresh legal proceedings in the Supreme Court.
Hundal had approached the top court while challenging proceedings before the Punjab and Haryana High Court and seeking transfer of the investigation to another agency. During the proceedings, his counsel conveyed that he was willing to surrender, following which the Supreme Court directed him to surrender before the authorities. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 1.
The arrest came after years of legal proceedings. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail plea in 2023, while the record also shows that arrest warrants were issued after he failed to join the investigation.
Multiple Cases Remain Pending
The Raj Jit Singh arrest Punjab Police action covers more than one criminal proceeding. According to police, Hundal is facing cases registered under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and other criminal laws.
One case concerns allegations arising from the police-drug investigation, while a separate Vigilance Bureau case relates to allegations involving assets disproportionate to known sources of income.
The Punjab police drug nexus case remains under investigation, and Hundal has challenged the proceedings in court. The allegations against him remain subject to the judicial process.
For now, the dismissed cop Raj Jit Singh arrested development brings a long-running case back into focus as investigators prepare to seek custodial remand and continue questioning him.
