A police constable and his friend have been arrested in Barnala, Punjab, for allegedly possessing and attempting to purchase narcotic substances, while two suspected drug suppliers have also been taken into custody, officials said on Wednesday.
The case came to light after a dispute allegedly broke out between the constable and two other men over a payment for drugs. The two men reportedly recorded a video of the police personnel, accusing him of possessing narcotics.
The arrested constable has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, while his friend is Amandeep, a resident of Barnala. Police have not disclosed the type of narcotic substance involved in the case.
Dispute over payment leads to police action
Charanjit Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of Barnala City 2 police station, said Gurpreet and Amandeep had allegedly gone to purchase narcotic substances when a disagreement arose with two other men over their failure to make the payment.
According to the SHO, the two men filmed the constable during the confrontation and accused him of possessing drugs.
An FIR was initially registered against the two men under Section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Sections 27 and 29 were subsequently added after they tested positive for drugs, the SHO said.
Police later added more individuals to the case following further investigation. Amandeep, meanwhile, is already facing another case under the NDPS Act.
Two alleged suppliers arrested, search on for third accused
Based on information gathered during the interrogation of the accused, police nominated three alleged drug suppliers: Nirmal Singh, alias Nimma, of Badran village in Barnala; Baljit Singh of Bugran village in Sangrur; and Gagandeep Singh of Bhooran village in Barnala.
Nirmal Singh and Baljit Singh, both of whom have previous criminal records, were arrested on Tuesday. Police said efforts were continuing to trace and arrest Gagandeep Singh.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajinderpal Singh said investigators were examining the backward and forward linkages of the case to identify the wider network involved in the alleged drug supply.
He added that strict action would be taken against those found involved in the case.
Another Punjab police personnel recently tests positive for drugs
The Barnala case comes amid another incident involving a police personnel in Punjab who allegedly tested positive for drugs.
Recently, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), identified as Sehajpreet Singh, was reportedly found in a disoriented condition in Budhlada town and subsequently tested positive for drugs.
Sehajpreet was posted in Mohali district and had been temporarily deployed in Mansa for law-and-order duty.