Chandigarh (National Times): In a major development in Punjab’s ongoing crackdown on corruption, the state government has suspended Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fazilka, Varinder Singh Brar, in connection with a corruption case. The action comes just a day after four police personnel from the Fazilka police station were caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh.
According to information, SSP Varinder Singh Brar has been suspended in a cybercrime case involving child pornography. A 17-year-old boy accidentally clicked on a child pornography link, and instead, the police tried to frame him and demanded a Rs 3 lakh bribe, threatening to jail him if the family didn’t pay. Despite repeated pleas, the SSP ignored the family’s requests.
Vigilance later raided the Fazilka Cyber Cell after a recording of the bribe surfaced. Yesterday, Punjab Vigilance arrested four police officials red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh, and today, the Punjab Government suspended the SSP in connection with the same case.
The Vigilance Bureau, which carried out the sting operation, arrested the officers while they were taking the bribe in a routine bribery case. The incident has triggered swift disciplinary action across the district’s law enforcement ranks.
Confirming the suspension of SSP Varinder Singh Brar, Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Whether big or small, one’s own or an outsider, no one will be spared in corruption cases.” He added that the government remains committed to rooting out corruption from all levels of governance and law enforcement.
Sources suggest that Brar’s suspension was linked to supervisory lapses and alleged complicity in the broader misconduct uncovered by the Vigilance Bureau.
The suspension of a high-ranking officer like an SSP sends a strong signal of zero tolerance and marks one of the most significant actions in Punjab’s recent anti-corruption efforts.
