Booked by CBI for graft, three UT cops suspended

CAUGHT OUT Asked Maloya man for ₹14,000 bribe after threatening to implicate him in case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act

CHANDIGARH : Three constables posted at the Maloya police station, including the driver of the station house officer (SHO), were suspended on Thursday after being booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for corruption for attempting to implicate Maloya resident Deepak Shani in a false case.

CBI also arrested Rajat of Maloya who acted as a ‘middleman’ and demanded money from Shani on behalf of the constables Nasib Khan, Krishan Malik and Shiv, the SHO’s driver, all from the Maloya police station.

“On allegations of corruption and registration of corruption case by CBI, all three constables posted at Maloya, have been placed under suspension and sent to Police Lines, Sector 26, Chandigarh,” read a Chandigarh police statement.

In his complaint on June 16, Shani accused the three of demanding a bribe of ₹20,000 from him through Rajat and threatened to implicate him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) if he did not pay up.

Shani said initial demand was ₹20,000 on June 15 but later it was settled at ₹14,000.

Shani told the CBI that on June 15 he was on an outing with his friends when two policemen approached them. As they carried sticks he panicked and ran home but a little later, an acquaintance, Rajat, came over and took him to the police beat box close by.

ASSAULTED, THREATS ISSUED

Khan and Malik then allegedly assaulted him in the beat box and accused him of selling drugs. Rajat then asked Shani to pay ₹20,000 to the policemen if he did not want to be implicated and after some negotiations a deal was struck at ₹14,000.

Shani alleged that Khan forcibly took ₹4,300 from him, returned ₹300 and directed him to arrange for the rest of the money.

On June 16, Shani informed the CBI, which registered an FIR against Rajat with the three constables under section 120 IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.

BRIBE REFERRED TO AS SHOES

In recordings provided to CBI which Shani claimed included conversations between the accused, Rajat and Shiv can be heard referring to the bribe amount as jootey (shoes) and Shani as jootey wala ladka (boy with the shoes).

Rajat had allegedly told Shiv that Shani had arranged for five pairs of shoes and that other pairs would be handed over later (five pairs being equivalent to ₹5,000).

RAJAT HAD GIVEN CBI THE SLIP

Though the CBI had laid a trap on Wednesday night to nab Rajat while Shani handed over ₹5,000 to him, he (Rajat) had, however, managed to escape. The law finally caught up with him on Tuesday. He was later given medical treatment for injuries and tested for Covid-19.

He will be presented before the court on Friday.

SHANI TOLD THE CBI THAT ON JUNE 15 HE WAS ON AN OUTING WITH HIS FRIENDS WHEN TWO COPS APPROACHED THEM; THEY WERE CARRYING STICKS

SO HE FLED IN PANIC