Gangster killed in Punjab Police custody, Officials Shifted

Chandigarh, Jan 22 (IANS) The day-light gunning down of a notorious gangster by a rival gang while he was being escorted by a Punjab Police team in the state's Phagwara town, has led to disciplinary action against senior police officials.

Taking a serious view of the security lapses leading to the killing of Sukha Kahlwan in police custody, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday ordered transfer of Kapurthala's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dhanpreet Kaur and Phagwara's Superintendent of Police (SP) Gursewak Singh with immediate effect.

IPS officer Ashish Chaudhary has been posted as the new SSP Kapurthala and Rajeshwar Singh Sidhu has been posted as SP-Phagwara, a state government spokesman said here.

Kahlwan was gunned down by members of a rival gang while he was being taken to the high-security Nabha jail in Patiala from Phagwara. He was brought to Phagwara for a court hearing.

Examining lapses on the part of the police party escorting Sukha Kahlwan, especially after the police failed to resist the attackers, Inspector General of Police Paramjit Singh Gill Thursday dismissed two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) who were in-charge of the police escort.

Four other police men in the escort were suspended and a departmental inquiry for major penalty of dismissal has been instituted against them.

"The main assailants have been identified and police parties dispatched to nab them. Initial investigation shows it to be a case of an attack on Sukha Kahlwan by members of a rival gang. The main assailants have old police record and had absconded while being out on bail/parole," the spokesman said.