An officer of the rank of Special DGP has been appointed to investigate all police cases registered during the period of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) imposed for the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll in Punjab and submit a report within 36 hours following a direction by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Accordingly, Ram Singh, Special DGP, ADGP Technical Support Services, has been appointed to review all the cases registered during the MCC period, not only in Tarn Taran but also in neighbouring districts beginning in October. The Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll will be held on November 11 and the campaigning comes to an end Sunday evening.
The development comes on the heels of the suspension of SSP Tarn Taran, Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal, on November 8. Surinder Lamba, former SSP of Hoshiarpur and Mansa, has replaced her.
In a letter dated November 8, addressed to the DGP Punjab, the Chief Electoral Officer Punjab, Sibin C, said the ECI had suspended the SSP Tarn Taran, Dr Ravjot Kaur Grewal, after taking cognisance of the serious lapses in impartial conduct during the MCC period enforced as a result of the announcement of bypoll in Tarn Taran.
“The report submitted by the Police Observer to ECI also highlighted that there had been coordinated and concerted actions by the State police, involving not just Tarn Taran Police but also the neighbouring districts like Amritsar, Batala, Moga and other adjoining Districts, raising serious concerns about impartiality of law enforcement during the election period,” the letter said.
The CEO said the EC has directed him to convey to the DGP to review all alleged wrongful registration of cases and arrests during MCC by a senior officer not below the rank of ADGP and take necessary action as per law within 36 hours. “The compliance report in the form of action taken on the above direction may be send to the undersigned for submission to ECI,” he added.
