Former Punjab IPS officer and ex-IG Amar Singh Chahal is in critical condition after allegedly shooting himself at his Patiala residence. Police say he was under severe financial stress after being duped of Rs 8.10 crore in an online cyber fraud.
Former Punjab Police Inspector General Amar Singh Chahal, who is one of the accused in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case, is in a critical condition after he allegedly shot himself with the revolver of a security guard at his residence in Patiala on Monday.
The incident is reportedly linked to severe financial distress after he allegedly lost several crores of rupees in an online cyber fraud.
According to Patiala police officials, the retired IG suffered a gunshot injury to his chest. Soon after the incident was reported, police teams rushed to his residence and shifted him to Park (Paras) Hospital in Patiala, where doctors have said his condition remains critical.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, Varun Sharma confirmed that police teams acted immediately after receiving information about the gunshot. He said officers reached the spot within minutes and found a note at Chahal’s residence.
Sharma said,
“We intervened in time and took him to the hospital while he was still breathing. We reached and reacted in less than 10 minutes. He is critical but breathing,”
The SSP further revealed that Amar Singh Chahal left behind a 12-page note addressed to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. In the note, Chahal reportedly spoke about his serious financial problems after being cheated in a cyber fraud amounting to Rs 8.10 crore.
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Sources familiar with the matter said the note mentions that Chahal came in contact with the company allegedly involved in the fraud in October. They added that several other people had also invested money in the same company.
As per sources, Chahal stated in his letter that he initially invested Rs 1 crore of his own money and borrowed the remaining amount from friends and relatives. He allegedly made online payments to the company through three different banks.
Sources also said that Chahal had written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking help regarding the alleged fraud.
Police officials confirmed that a detailed investigation is currently underway to examine all circumstances surrounding the incident, including the allegations made by the former Indian Police Service officer in his note.
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Amar Singh Chahal is also facing serious criminal charges in connection with the 2015 Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing cases, which arose during protests over incidents of sacrilege. Two protesters had lost their lives during the police firing.
SSP Sharma said,
“All angles are being investigated. His note is addressed to several people, including DGP Yadav. Our focus is on saving his life,”
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