Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, who claimed he was abducted and dumped by terrorists who made off in his SUV before attacking the Pathankot airbase, is facing an inquiry after five women constables levelled charges of sexual harassment against him.
In a complaint, the five constables, posted in Gurdaspur where he was SP (Headquarters) until recently, alleged that Singh was “acting too familiar†and had been “passing cheap remarksâ€.
Two days before he claimed he was abducted by terrorists, Singh was transferred to Jalandhar as Assistant Commandant, 75th Battalion, and Punjab Armed Police.
The five women constables, attached to the office of SSP, Gurdaspur, initially sent an anonymous complaint to the DGP, alleging Singh was “crossing the lines of decencyâ€.
The DGP instructed GurpreetKaurDeo, IG (NRI Affairs), to look into the allegations. Source said Deo visited Gurdaspur a few days ago and tracked down the women constables who then jointly reiterated their complaint.
One of the complainants said she had been called by Singh to his office a few days ago. “He asked me why I was standing next to a colleague, and if I had a relationship with him. This was just not done. I protested, raised an alarm and he called his orderly inside to remove me from his office. Someone sent an anonymous complaint to the DGP.
The SP, the complainant alleged, had her posted as his telephone operator. She immediately protested.
A senior police officer said Deo had recorded the statements of the five women constables but was yet to hear Salwinder Singh’s version. He had visited Deo’s office a few days before the terror attack but has not been officially called in yet.
In Pathankot, Singh told reporters Tuesday he was “innocent†and was being “implicated by some vested interestsâ€.
“Let the inquiry be completed. The truth will come out,†he said.
