Punjab Police scraps exams to fill 560 posts of Sub-inspectors

The Punjab Police on Sunday scrapped an examination conducted to fill 560 posts of sub-inspectors (SIs) after reports of cheating and malpractices surfaced, a spokesperson said. The exam was scrapped following the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa ”to maintain the integrity and fairness of the examination process for recruitment”, the police spokesperson said.

The move came a day after Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded a CBI probe into the alleged Punjab Police recruitment scam and said that fraudulent methods were used in the test held for the recruitment of sub-inspectors. The common computer-based tests to recruit SIs in four cadres and wings (investigation, district, armed police and intelligence) of the Punjab Police were held from August 17 to 24 at different centres in the state.

The spokesperson on Sunday said that dates for fresh examination for the recruitment of SIs will be notified soon. The Recruitment Board constituted for the recruitment of SIs had recommended scrapping of examinations after cheating and use of malpractices was reported in the tests.

In this regard, a report was received by the DGP Office on September 27 and the DGP gave approval to the recommendations of the Recruitment Board on Saturday. The spokesperson further said that on the basis of complaints about cheating and malpractices, the Punjab Police have already registered three FIRs in Mohali, Patiala and Khanna districts.

On September 15, the DGP had also constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional DGP Parmod Ban, ADGP Special Crimes and Economic Offences Wing Punjab to carry forward the fair and expeditious investigation of the cases, said the spokesperson ”The SIT has already started an investigation of the said cases and has so far arrested 20 accused in three FIRs,” the spokesperson added.