Former Punjab DGP S S Virk arrested

Former Punjab Director General of Police S S Virk, who was removed shortly before the assembly poll in the state, was arrested on Sunday on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and misuse of official position.

Virk, a senior IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, who was arrested in Delhi by a team of Punjab Vigilance Bureau officials, described the charges against him as 'false and fabricated.'

A case was registered against Virk under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Saturday, Vigilance Bureau sources said, adding that he did not offer any resistance at the time of his arrest.

Soon after his arrest from Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi on Sunday morning, the former Punjab Police chief was taken by road to Mohali near Chandigarh where he was quizzed by vigilance sleuths.

He was also medically examined, the sources said, adding that searches were also conducted at a number of places in Punjab in connection with properties owned by the former DGP.

The team that arrested Virk included four officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police.

Besides allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, the ex-DGP was charged with misusing his authority by indulging in private business as a public servant in violation of service rules.

A visibly tired Virk, who was repatriated by the Centre from Punjab after the assembly election, told media persons at a police station in Mohali that all the cases registered against him were false and fabricated.

"It is political victimisation and vendetta," said the IPS officer.

Virk, the first DGP from the state to be arrested, was suspended by the SAD-BJP government, led by Parkash Singh Badal, soon after it came to power in February this year.

He was removed as DGP shortly before the assembly poll by the Election Commission after the opposition SAD leveled allegations of corruption against him.

It also charged Virk with helping the then ruling Congress at former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's behest. After his removal as DGP, Virk was initially posted as DGP-cum-Chairman Punjab Police Housing Corporation on January 22 and suspended in April.

R S Gill, a 1973 batch IPS officer, was appointed DGP Punjab on January 22 after Virk was removed by the Election Commission.