AS IF the Delhi policemen had not done enough to harm the ‘khaki’ image by letting off the kidney racket accused in lieu of cash, the shocking news of the involvement of senior police officials in a sex racket in Punjab has shamed the nation.

 
A CBI team on February 26 arrested Davinder Singh Garcha, senior superintendent of police, Moga along with then superintendent of police (headquarters) Paramdeep Singh Sadhu, for involvement in the now infamous ‘Moga sex scam’.
 
The two officials were key persons involved in blackmailing rich and influential persons and major portion of money went to them. Both the officials were arrested from their houses in Chandigarh. Raids were also conducted at the residences of the two officials in Chandigarh, Ropar and Jalandhar. 
 
The modus operandi of the entire scam was simple, female members of the gang would accuse rich persons of sexually abusing and cases would be filed against them. However, the lower level police officials would intercede in the matter and a deal would be struck, consequently the girls would not identify the accused persons.
 
According to the CBI demands ranged somewhere between three to six lakhs depending upon the ability of the accused to pay.
 
It is to be noted that the Supreme Court on February 7 had stayed the Punjab and Haryana High Court order for a CBI inquiry into the sex scandal.
 
The Punjab government had moved a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the December 11 order of the state High Court calling for CBI inquiry into the case.
 
The SLP mentioned that the high court had overstretched jurisdictional powers by ordering a CBI probe into the matter.
 
An official on the condition of anonymity said that the government was making efforts to prevent the CBI to make inroads in the case. However, the arrest of two senior officials by CBI has stalled these efforts and now the inquiry will go as directed by the high court.