Opposition parties have questioned the transfer of a senior IPS officer a week after the newly-elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pledged to stop illegal mining in Punjab after he leaked a group of illegal sand miners.
On Friday, the state government issued transfer orders for 13 senior superintendents of police (SSPs), including Dhruman H Nimbale. He was removed from Hoshiarpur within a week after an alleged gang of illegal sand miners was leaked and the biggest cash of Rs 1.53 crore was seized.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had promised stern action against illegal sand mining during the Assembly elections and during his election campaign after taking office.
Nimbal’s replacement gave the opposition ammunition against the AAP. Congress and former AAP leaders have questioned the state government’s commitment to ending the sand mafia threat.
Posted in Muktsar, Nimbal has an impeccable track record, is known for fighting the Bali mafia and has been transferred 18 times in eight years. Earlier, during the Congress-led government, his last two transfers took place and he joined the action against illegal sand mining in Taran Taran and Moga.
He had ordered more than 100 FIRs in illegal sand mining during his tenure as SSP of Taran Taran, Moga and Hoshiarpur.
After the AAP-led government took office, he cracked down on government officials in disguise against sand miners who were charging “illegal taxes” from truck drivers.
Punjab Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa has expressed surprise over the recent transfer of Hoshiarpur SSP. In a tweet, he said, “As promised by the AAP, the officer has been awarded a ‘transfer’ instead of a ‘transfer’. Hoshiarpur SSP has been transferred after confiscating Rs 1.53 crore and breaking up a sand mining gang. Wonderful. “(Sic)
Congress MLA Pargat Singh said the AAP government had transferred an officer who “dared to file a case against the mining mafia”.
“The AAP government has transferred SSP Hoshiarpur SSP @ dhruman39, who dared to file a case against the mining mafia. He leaked a gangster-tax racket and recovered Rs 1.53 crore 5 days ago. Instead of encouraging such honest officers, the @BhagwantMann government is replacing them. I hope it is not bad, “said Pargat Singh.
Former Patiala MP Dr Dharambir Gandhi also took to the AAP government on Twitter. Questioning the transfer of Nimbal, Dr Gandhi shared Pargat Singh’s tweet a few days ago with details of an illegal sand mining racket by a police officer.
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