Kapurthala, Punjab – A special task force of the Punjab Police has come under investigation after falsely implicating a Kapurthala resident in a drug case over five years ago. According to sources, four members of the STF unit have been taken into custody by local authorities for registering a bogus First Information Report (FIR) against Kuldeep Singh in 2019.
Records show the target individual, addressed as Sonu by community members, was wrongfully accused by the STF of heroin and poppy husk possession near a rehabilitation center in the area. However, Sonu maintained his innocence from the outset, petitioning the Punjab and Haryana High Court with evidence that cast doubt on the police version of events.
After a thorough judicial review, the court last year ordered action against the five officers named in the case. This prompted Kapurthala police to file charges under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
So far, four of the accused – identified as ASI Sylwaster Masih and constables Major Singh, Gurvinder Singh, and Sham Masih – have been apprehended based on warrants. The men are currently in three-day remand custody while police pursue the fifth individual, ASI Kuldeep Singh.
Local observers view this as a worrying scenario that raises questions about misconduct within certain law enforcement circles. Further transparency and accountability reforms may be needed to curb similar lapses going forward. For now, the focus remains on justice for the complainant and punishment of anyone found complicit in the allegedly falsified allegations.
