Dismissed Punjab AIG Raj Jit Singh arrested in Patiala after 2-year abscondence
Synopsis
A dismissed Punjab Police AIG who spent over two years on the run — and was a proclaimed offender in drug trafficking, extortion, and corruption cases — has finally been arrested in Patiala by the ANTF. The arrest follows his counsel's surprise disclosure to the Supreme Court that he was ready to surrender, spotlighting the deep-rooted police-drug nexus that Punjab’s courts have been trying to unravel since 2023.
Key Takeaways
Dismissed Punjab Police AIG Raj Jit Singh was arrested in Patiala on 24 September 2026 by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) .
He had been absconding since April 2023 and was declared a proclaimed offender .
Cases against him include alleged drug-police nexus, extortion, Prevention of Corruption Act charges, and disproportionate assets.
More than 50 NDPS samples allegedly failed during his posting as SSP Tarn Taran , linking him to dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh .
He had challenged a July 2026 Punjab and Haryana High Court order before the Supreme Court; the next hearing is set for 1 October 2026 .
Dismissed Punjab Police Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Raj Jit Singh, who had been absconding since April 2023 in connection with cases of alleged drug trafficking, extortion, and corruption, was arrested on Thursday, 24 September 2026, in Patiala, officials confirmed. His apprehension ends over two years of evasion that had drawn the attention of the Supreme Court.
How the Arrest Came About
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed to reporters that Jit Singh was nabbed by a team of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Patiala following a technical and financial investigation. Police are expected to seek his custodial remand to facilitate interrogation in the multiple cases registered against him.
The arrest came days after Jit Singh's counsel informed the Supreme Court that his client was willing to surrender. The apex court subsequently directed him to present himself before the relevant authorities, and adjourned his pending plea — which challenges a July 2026 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court — for hearing on 1 October. The court also granted him liberty to file an appropriate application after surrendering.
The Charges Against Him
Jit Singh faces a clutch of serious cases: an ANTF case alleging a police-drug trafficker nexus and extortion; a charge under the Prevention of Corruption Act; and a Vigilance Bureau case concerning alleged disproportionate assets. He had been declared a proclaimed offender after failing to appear before the court.
A government order stated that Jit Singh ‘abused his official position to shield the drug peddlers and smugglers from the clutches of law, implicated innocent persons in false drug cases and also managed to scuttle the investigations in the FIRs registered against Inderjit Singh.’
The Inderjit Singh Connection
The allegations against Jit Singh are closely tied to investigations involving dismissed Punjab Police Inspector Inderjit Singh and the mishandling of drug-related cases during their overlapping postings. Both were investigated by Special Investigation Teams constituted on orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Notably, investigators found that more than 50 NDPS samples failed during the period when Jit Singh was posted as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Tarn Taran and Inderjit Singh was serving in the district police — a finding that became central to the case against both officers.
Legal Challenge and What Comes Next
Jit Singh has sought transfer of the investigation to a different agency, contending that he cannot expect a fair probe from the Punjab Police. That legal challenge remains pending before the Supreme Court. With his surrender now effected, the October 1 hearing will be watched closely for directions on the transfer petition and the fate of the ongoing investigations.
His dismissal from service in 2023 followed departmental proceedings based on SIT reports, and his arrest on Thursday marks a significant step in what has been a prolonged accountability effort against alleged police complicity in Punjab's drug menace.
Point of View
A Supreme Court directive, and two-and-a-half years of abscondence before an officer of AIG rank could be brought in. The failure of over 50 NDPS samples on his watch is not a footnote — it is the core allegation, and it will test whether Punjab’s investigative agencies can sustain an airtight case once his remand begins. His pending petition to transfer the probe away from the Punjab Police also raises a question mainstream coverage is glossing over: if the accused himself argues his own force cannot be trusted to investigate him impartially, that concern deserves judicial scrutiny, not dismissal.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Raj Jit Singh and why was he arrested?
Raj Jit Singh is a dismissed Punjab Police Assistant Inspector General (AIG) who was arrested in Patiala on 24 September 2026 by the Anti-Narcotics Task Force. He faces cases of alleged drug trafficking, extortion, corruption, and disproportionate assets, and had been absconding since April 2023.
What triggered his arrest now after two years?
His counsel informed the Supreme Court that Jit Singh was willing to surrender, following which the court directed him to present himself before the authorities. The ANTF then apprehended him in Patiala through a technical and financial investigation.
What is Jit Singh’s connection to the Punjab drug nexus?
Jit Singh is alleged to have shielded drug traffickers, framed innocent individuals in false drug cases, and obstructed investigations against dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh, according to a government order. More than 50 NDPS samples allegedly failed during their overlapping postings in Tarn Taran.
What legal challenges does Jit Singh have pending?
Jit Singh has challenged a July 2026 Punjab and Haryana High Court order before the Supreme Court, and has sought transfer of the investigation to another agency on grounds of bias. The Supreme Court has scheduled the matter for 1 October 2026, with liberty granted to file an application post-surrender.
What happens next in the case?
Police are expected to seek custodial remand of Jit Singh for interrogation. The Supreme Court will next hear his plea on 1 October 2026, where his transfer petition and the broader question of investigative fairness are likely to be addressed.
