The Hindu : New Delhi News : Timing raises questions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Timing raises questions

By Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI, APRIL 8. The timing of the arrest of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Lakhminder Singh Brar, who was once an inspiration to those aspiring to become top-class investigators, has raised serious doubts over the probe into the case in which he along with a criminal allegedly sold a land on the basis of forged documents. While the other accused was arrested two years ago, the police did not arrest Brar despite having scientific proof against him.

According to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch, the victim, C.P. Malik, had lodged a case way back in 2002 alleging that one Mukesh, who later turned out to be a registered bad character of Lajpat Nagar police station, had sold his property to a Kolkata-based businessman on the basis of forged documents.

The police arrested Mukesh two years ago and he is now out on bail. The EOW officials today claimed that they came to know about Brar's involvement in the case after they questioned, Mukesh. However, they did not disclose when exactly the questioning took place. It is also not clear whether Mukesh during his questioning after his arrest had revealed to the police about Brar's involvement. In that case, Brar should have been arrested soon after Mukesh's arrest.

The police are tight-lipped about why Brar was arrested after two years, despite the fact that they had concrete evidence against him. The will and the death certificate of the original owner, Chaman Lal, on the basis of which Brar -- with the help of Mukesh -- allegedly sold the property, contained his fingerprints and handwriting. And it is highly unlikely that it took two years for the police to obtain forensic examination report in this regard.

Once a highly celebrated police officer, Brar was considered to be one of the best investigators the Delhi police had in the late 1980's. After winning several accolades, he started taking up drug smuggling cases. Brar came to the limelight after he arrested the then big-time smuggler Ashok Solomon. However, things started getting worse when he was arrested on charges of indulging in drug smuggling after which he was dismissed. After being exonerated by a court, Brar again got reinstated through the Central Administrative Tribunal. He was also arrested at the Bhopal airport reportedly for possessing an illegal firearm.

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