Punjab orders probe into Namdhari’s arms licence, passport

Sukhbir Singh Badal took cognisance of media reports and ordered a probe, which will be conducted by Principal Secretary (Home) D S Bains, government spokesperson said.

Bains has been asked to submit a report within a fortnight and also suggest concrete measures to ensure such lapses on the part of state administration do not happen again.

Jalandhar (Rural) police is yet to taken action against the allegation of use of false documents by Namdhari to attain the passport. The Jalandhar Passport Office has impounded Namdhari’s passport, issued to him in 2006.

Namdhari, a resident of Bazpur in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, got his passport based on an address-proof of Jania village in Jalandhar, police said.

It was alleged that Namdhari submitted a fake ration card and other certificates. Police said he could be booked in a criminal case for providing false information .

According to sources, the passport officer had written to Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) asking for an explanation as to how the police verified the address of a person who was not a resident of Punjab.