CHANDIGARH, May 30: Besides cases of alleged excesses, what may have prompted the former Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police Ajit Singh Sandhu to commit suicide was a serious charge of land grabbing, in which he faced action leading to dismissal from service.

Sandhu's badly mutilated body was found on the railway track near here on May 23. Preliminary police investigations indicate it as a case of suicide.

Investigations by The Indian Express reveal that the State government had decided to chargesheet him in a day or two following two inquiries into allegations of land grabbing by him. The action was to be taken under the Punjab Civil Service (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970 for having ``misused his position'' during his tenure at Ropar as SSP to grab a piece of land worth crores of rupees.

The chargesheet was prepared by the internal vigilance cell of the police last month after an inquiry conducted by Additional Director General of Police D S Bhullar found Sandhu guilty of ``gross acts of misconduct'', that his actions were highly irresponsible and had lowered the prestige of police force.

Clause 9 of Rule 5 of PCS Rules empowers the government to order ``dismissal from service'' of the indicted employee after he is chargesheeted and allowed an opportunity to explain his case.

The four-page chargesheet was ready with the Department of Home, Punjab, to be served on the controversial officer who was already under suspension.

``This may have prompted him to end his life rather than the ongoing humiliation,'' said a senior officer.

According to the chargesheet, Sandhu was to be given 15 days to clarify his position and put up defence, if any, before his services would have been terminated permanently. The said penal clause further lays down that dismissal ``shall ordinarily be a disqualification for future employment under the Government.''

Sandhu, who remained SSP of Ropar district from October 1, 1993 till January 20, 1995, was charged with grabbing 8.5 acres of prime agricultural land in Ropar town during 1994. The complaint was filed by Lakhbir Singh of Goslan village and Pal Inderjit Singh of Dhianpur village in Ropar district before the then Chief Minister, Beant Singh.

The probe was first entrusted to then Deputy Inspector General of Ludhiana Police range, Shashi Kant, who submitted his report upholding the charges in January last year.

However, a fresh inquiry was later ordered and entrusted to ADGP D S Bhullar who submitted his report on August 9, 1996 (incidentally, Bhullar himself later became one of the accused in the triple murder case and is currently in judicial custody at Patiala). After processing, preparation and vetting of the charge-sheet, it was sent last month to DGP and then to Principal Secretary (Home) G P S Sahi for serving it on Sandhu and taking other necessary action in the light of the inquiry report.

According to Bhullar's report, the land in question belonged to a widow Karma Wali upon whose death, its control went to her daughter Rattan Jot Kumari. The latter gave it on contract lease to Tara Singh.

However, on September 23, 1994, Rattan Jot Kumari entered into an agreement with Lakhbir Singh and Pal Inderjit Singh for selling it at a cost of Rs 38 lakh. The buyers paid Rs 3.25 lakh to the seller as earnest money with the stipulation to pay the remaining Rs 34.75 lakh at the time of execution and registration of sale deed.

In addition, the buyers also paid Rs 3.50 lakh to Tara Singh after which they got possession of the land.

However Sandhu, allegedly abusing his position as SSP at that time, forcibly took possession of the sale agreement and payment receipt from Lakhbir Singh and Pal Inderjit Singh. He not only kept these important documents with him ``with some ulterior motive'' but also threatened to kill the actual claimants in a false encounter when they demanded the same from him, according to the report. Further the probe report says that Sandhu sent some armed persons on January 6, 1995 to the spot and they took possession of the land. The complainant was seconded before the inquiry officer by then DSP of Ropar, Harpal Singh, besides some others.

Jasminder Singh, who succeeded Sandhu as SSP at Ropar, too in his demi-official letter to the DGP stated on May 17, 1995, ``as per source reports, contents in the application are prima facie correct.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.