Etah (UP): An FIR has been registered here against a head constable and other unnamed persons for allegedly implicating 10 people, including a dhabha owner, in false cases allegedly for demanding money for the food they served to policemen last month, officials said.
“The FIR has been registered against Head Constable Shailendra and others for implicating 10 persons, including customers, at a dhaba in several false cases when dhabha owner Pushpendra Yadav demanded money from the constable for the food that was served to them,” a senior official said citing the FIR.
The policeman was booked on Tuesday under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including 384 (extortion) and 211 (false charge of offence), he said.
The FIR was registered on the basis of an inquiry conducted by Additional SP (Crime) Rahul Kumar based on a complaint lodged by Pushpendra’s younger brother Praveen.
In the complaint, Praveen had alleged that Inspector of Kotwali Dehat Indresh Pal Singh and two Head Constables Shailendra and Santosh Kumar had lodged false cases by implicating 10 persons, including him.
ASP Kumar said the policemen took help of local liquor gangster Bantu Yadav, who allegedly provided the police personnel with illicit alcohol and ‘ganja’. Police is also trying to trace his whereabouts.
Kotwali Dehat police had earlier claimed that they raided the dhaba in Jasram village in the evening of February 4 after getting information that some criminals were planning to commit a robbery and they arrested 10 persons from the dhaba after an encounter recovering country-made pistols, liquor and ganja from their possession.
Among the 10 arrested from the dhaba were Praveen’s elder brother Pushpendra Yadav (34), cousin Deepak Yadav (24) and eight others. The accused were booked on charges, including attempt to murder, sections of the Excise Act, the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).
Meanwhile, the SHO was suspended last week in a separate matter when a surprise inspection led to the discovery of 1,400 cartons of seized liquor missing from the strong room of the police station under his in-charge.
The victim Praveen, who is a B Tech graduate, told media that February 4 afternoon, the two head constables came to his dhaba on a bike and had lunch. After having their lunch, the two policemen did not pay up the food bill when asked to and they started abusing and left the place, he alleged.
“Later, a large number of policemen arrived in the dhaba and took me and even some customers present at the time to the police station where all were beaten up,” he said.
After being released from prison on bail, Praveen took up the matter and wrote several letters to senior officials and later Etah District Magistrate Vibha Chahal ordered an inquiry into it, the engineering graduate added.
“I remained in jail for around 40 days and my friends are still inside,” Praveen said.
Addtional Director General of Police (Agra) Rajiv Krishna said the matter has come to his knowledge.
“The charges against the policemen are very serious. I have issued orders to immediately suspend the policemen involved in the matter and take legal action also,” he said. The probe into the matter has been transferred from Etah to a team of policemen from nearby Aligarh district, he added.
PTI
