© Provided by The Indian Express
Three police personnel posted in District Crime Cell (DCC) were Friday suspended with immediate effect for dereliction of duty while dealing with three suspects arrested for gambling on ongoing IPL matches.
The incharge of DCC, Inspector Narinder Patial, too was transferred to the police lines, Sector 26, with immediate effect.
The suspended police personnel were identified as Constables Hansa Ram, Manjit Singh and Sandeep Kumar. A probe was ordered against the three for ascertaining whether money was being demanded from the gamblers to let them go.
A source said, “Three alleged gamblers identified as Parth, Nitin and Gagan were rounded up yesterday afternoon but not formally arrested till night. Around 9 pm, someone made a call at the police control room alleging three men were kidnapped and kept illegally in Sector 24 where the office of District Crime Cell is situated. Senior police officers, including an IPS and two DSPs, rushed to the spot. They found three gamblers at the District Crime Cell but there was no money trail.”
Senior officers, who rushed to the office of District Crime Cell in Sector 24, also recorded statements of the three suspects, who were later arrested under the Gambling Act.
SSP (UT) Kanwardeep Kaur said, “We suspended three constables of District Crime Cell for dereliction of duty. Three men who used to gamble on the IPL matches were found on the District Crime Cell premises in Sector 24. An FIR was lodged against the three gamblers. A small amount was recovered from them. A probe was ordered against three constables to check their conduct.”
Sources said Rs 6,400 was recovered from Parth, Nitin and Gagan, who used to bet money on IPL cricket teams through an online mobile application. Sources claimed that hundreds of people of Tricity had bet their money on the cricket teams through three persons.
Sources said that the three arrested suspects were earlier also involved in gambling. The District Crime Cell, which operates from Sector 24, was constituted for curbing organised crime in Chandigarh in November 2021.