A retired assistant inspector general (AIG) of the Punjab Police, Malvinder Singh Sidhu, is not new to controversies. Recently, he allegedly shot and killed his son-in-law, Harprit Singh, an Indian Civil Account Services (ICAS) officer, at a mediation center in the Chandigarh district court complex.
Sidhu has been involved in multiple legal issues. In May, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in connection with an FIR filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on October 30, 2023. This was after Sidhu, who was earlier suspended, was arrested in April for extortion, marking the fourth case against him.
Sidhu’s arrest in April was related to a plot involving his aide, Balbir Singh. Sidhu allegedly offered ₹30,000 to Balbir to stage a protest outside the Punjab Social Welfare Office. This was an attempt to pressure the office into taking action against Harprit Singh, who was accused of using a fake caste certificate. The police recorded the bribe offer and registered a new case based on this evidence.
In November 2023, Sidhu and two others were booked for fraud and graft by the Punjab VB. Sidhu reportedly exploited his position to extort money from government employees. He falsely claimed to be the inspector general (IG) of the vigilance bureau to obtain sensitive documents, which he then used to blackmail individuals. One such case involved a government teacher’s service book, which Sidhu acquired to coerce bribes.
In October last year, Sidhu was arrested for assaulting deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Barinder Gill. This incident occurred during an inquiry into Sidhu’s disproportionate assets and criminal misconduct. Sidhu was charged with using criminal force against a public servant and criminal intimidation. Shortly after this incident, on October 30, 2023, Sidhu was again booked by the Punjab VB under the Prevention of Corruption Act for procuring and misusing caste certificates to blackmail people.
In January 2024, Sidhu faced yet another case registered by the Phase-8 police in Mohali for alleged extortion and graft.
