The Punjab government on Wednesday suspended Fazilka SSP Varinderpal Singh Brar following a bribery scandal involving cyber crime police officials. The action came after the arrest of four police personnel over a ₹1 lakh bribe linked to a minor’s confiscated mobile phone, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reiterating his administration’s uncompromising stance against graft.
In a significant development highlighting the Punjab government’s ongoing battle against corruption, Fazilka’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Varinderpal Singh Brar, was placed under immediate suspension on Wednesday. The decision, spearheaded by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, comes in the wake of a high-profile bribery case involving officials at the Fazilka cyber crime police station.
While the official notification of the suspension did not cite specific reasons, government sources confirmed the action was prompted by Brar’s failure to prevent or act on reported corruption within his jurisdiction, particularly in a sensitive border district.
A Teenager’s Phone and a Bribe: The Case That Sparked the Crackdown
The case came into the public eye when Dharminder Singh, the father of a 17-year-old boy, brought a complaint directly to Chief Minister Mann. Singh alleged that police personnel at the cyber crime station in Fazilka demanded a ₹1 lakh bribe to return his son’s phone, which had been seized in connection with a cyber complaint.
Despite multiple attempts by the family to retrieve the phone through formal channels, they were ultimately coerced into paying the bribe. Notably, the family had approached SSP Brar before contacting the Chief Minister, but their pleas allegedly went unheard—further compounding the seriousness of the lapse in administrative accountability.
Acting swiftly, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested four individuals: the Station House Officer (SHO) of the cyber crime police station, a reader (clerical staff), and two constables. The arrests took place on Tuesday following a discreet investigation ordered by the Chief Minister himself.
ALSO READ: FCRF Launches Campus Ambassador Program to Empower India’s Next-Gen Cyber Defenders
A Political Message: No Exceptions, Not Even MLAs
The Fazilka incident marks the latest in a series of anti-corruption drives led by the Bhagwant Mann administration. Just last week, Jalandhar Central AAP MLA Raman Arora was arrested in a separate corruption case. Speaking on both cases, Mann declared that his government would not shield any individual—be it an officer, bureaucrat, or politician—from legal action if they are found guilty of corruption.
“This is a heinous crime against humanity,” said Mann. “The arrest of our own MLA is evidence that there is no pick and choose. We stand by our commitment to clean governance.”
He further emphasized that the suspension of SSP Brar should serve as a warning to all public officials that dereliction of duty in matters of corruption will not be tolerated.
Implications for Police Accountability in Punjab
The suspension of such a high-ranking officer sends ripples through the Punjab Police establishment, particularly in border districts like Fazilka where law enforcement plays a critical role in maintaining both internal and external security. Observers believe this could lead to increased vigilance among district police chiefs and an overhaul in the monitoring mechanisms of cyber crime units.
In a state where corruption in policing has often been a point of public discontent, the Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government appears intent on reshaping public trust. Whether these actions will lead to systemic reform remains to be seen, but for now, the message from Chandigarh is loud and clear: corruption will be rooted out, irrespective of rank or party affiliation.