HC orders CBI probe into claims of Punjab DSP Vavinder Mahajan booked for ‘aiding’ drug suppliers

DSP Vavinder Mahajan had been booked last month for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹45 lakh from one such firm. The allegations are that he had allegedly been supporting drug suppliers by engaging in corrupt practices and the sum was accepted “to protect firms from legal consequences in the FIRs registered against them”

The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a preliminary probe into allegations made by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Vavinder Mahajan, a former special task force (STF) officer, who is being investigated by the Punjab Police for alleged corruption during probe against pharma companies in drugs cases.

DSP Vavinder Mahajan, a former special task force (STF) officer, is being investigated by the Punjab Police for alleged corruption during probe against pharma companies in drugs cases. (HT File)

The HC bench of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj also restrained the STF from conducting any further investigation in the corruption FIR against him till conclusion of the preliminary inquiry by the CBI. The report from CBI has been sought within four months.

The officer had been booked last month for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹45 lakh from one such firm. The allegations are that he had allegedly been supporting drug suppliers by engaging in corrupt practices and the sum was accepted “to protect firms from legal consequences in the FIRs registered against them”.

Mahajan, who was transferred out of the STF to 9th Battalion, had sought independent probe and claimed his implication while stating that he had unearthed a racket with inter-state links -- drugs being routed through Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and being stocked in Haryana and sold into Punjab. As per his plea, while probing an FIR registered in January, the names of some Baddi-based firms cropped up, who had produced as many as 19.68 crore Alprasafe tablets (containing Alprazolam and Tramadol salts) in a short span of nearly seven months and these have been pumped into the drug trade through bogus billings and movements on forged/fake documents. It was further alleged that under the influence of drug dealers, Mahajan was transferred out of STF and is now being implicated in a corruption case.

“I feel that the issue of this propensity needs to be investigated thoroughly as the racket involves an inter-state operation. The possibility of people with clout and presence at different levels of administration cannot be ruled out. Given the volume of trade, the manner in which it operates and the nature of allegations levelled, a CBI probe is required before proceeding any further in the matter,” the bench said while roping in CBI.

The court, while passing the order, asked Punjab to ensure that the requisite manpower along with rank of officers as asked for by the CBI are provided to them. “It is made clear that in case, the present order is not complied with, the court shall proceed ahead to fix responsibility of the officers who are prima-facie in default in non-compliance of the order passed,” it said, asking all the authorities to extend full support.