October 29, 2025: The Special Task Force (STF) has arrested former Punjab Police SSP and AIG Rashpal Singh. Singh had retired two years ago. He is accused of falsely implicating a man from Amritsar in a case involving the possession of one kilogram of heroin. After a high-level investigation, a case was registered against Rashpal Singh, and he has now been arrested.
The incident dates back to the period when Rashpal Singh was heading the STF. His team had recovered one kilogram of heroin from a man named Gurjant Singh, alias Sonu. However, the police allegedly showed the recovery in the name of another man, Balwinder Singh, while releasing Gurjant Singh. To falsely implicate Balwinder Singh, the police allegedly fabricated a story.
Balwinder Singh approached the High Court. In November 2019, the High Court directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Bureau of Investigation, Pramod Ban, to investigate the matter. Following the probe, in December 2020, the DGP submitted Balwinder Singh’s call records, CCTV footage, and location data to the High Court. Based on the evidence, questions were raised, and in January 2021, the High Court handed over the investigation to the CBI.
The case dates back to 2017. On August 3, 2017, Rashpal Singh’s team arrested Balwinder Singh from Civil Hospital, Patti. Later, a case was registered against him for possession of one kilogram of heroin. He was also accused of smuggling heroin from Pakistan. Three other accused were also named in the case.
A supplementary report filed against Balwinder Singh mentioned that another consignment of heroin was allegedly buried in the fields of an accused named Bhaur Singh. The police later recovered 4 kilograms and 530 grams of heroin, a pistol, three magazines, and 56 cartridges from the field. Subsequently, the police filed a chargesheet against Balwinder Singh, Major Singh, and Bhaur Singh in a court in Amritsar. A supplementary chargesheet was also filed against Balwinder Singh. However, the chargesheet made no mention of Gurjant Singh, raising further suspicion.
After investigating the drug trafficking case, the CBI filed a chargesheet in a special court against AIG Rashpal Singh of the STF and 10 other police officials. Apart from Rashpal Singh, the chargesheet named Inspector Sukhwinder Singh, Sub-Inspector Prabhjit Singh and Balwinder Singh, Station House Officers (SHOs) Kulwinder Singh, Surjit Singh, Kulbir Singh, and Beant Singh, as well as Kulwant Singh and Constable Heera Singh. Following the investigation, a high-level Punjab Police team arrested Rashpal Singh.
Summary:
A former Senior Superintendent of Police and ex-chief of Punjab’s Special Task Force have been arrested in a high-profile case linked to alleged misuse of authority and corruption.