Mr. Gautam Cheema, a 1995-batch IPS officer of the Punjab cadre, along with five others, has been sentenced to eight months imprisonment by a Special CBI Court in Mohali. The case pertains to the wrongful detention of a person, Mr. Sumedh Gulati, who was forcibly taken from the lawful custody of Police Station Phase-I, Mohali, in 2014.
The CBI investigated the matter following a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 4, 2020, transferring the case from the local police to the federal agency.
According to the CBI, on the night of August 26, 2014, Mr. Cheema, then serving as Inspector General of Police (IGP), allegedly arrived at the police station in an inebriated state, accompanied by Mr. Ajay Chaudhary and others. The group reportedly forcibly removed Mr. Gulati from custody and transported him in a private car to Max Hospital, Phase-6, Mohali, where a complainant was admitted.
It was further alleged that Officer Cheema detained Mr. Gulati in the complainant’s room and threatened the complainant to withdraw her complaints against him.
Following the investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet on December 31, 2020, against the six accused, including Mr. Cheema. The Special CBI Judge convicted the accused of charges including wrongful confinement, assault, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of duties. Alongside the eight-month sentence, the court imposed a fine of Rs. 39,000 on the convicts.
The other individuals convicted in the case include Mr. Varun Utreja (then Advocate), Ms. Rashmi Negi, Mr. Vicky Verma, and Mr. Aryan Singh, apart from Mr. Cheema and Mr. Ajay Chaudhary.
Officer Cheema, a native of Punjab and an M. Phil degree holder, faced charges framed under various penal provisions, including wrongful restraint, criminal conspiracy, and trespass with intent to harm or assault.
