Now ghee supplier accuses Chandigarh policemen of extortion

Barwala man was arrested in connection with supply of spurious ghee. Complaint comes days after liquor vend owner levelled similar allegations against policemen in the crime branch

A ghee or clarified butter supplier has complained to Chandigarh police about alleged extortion by men from the crime branch, even as action has yet to be initiated against two men from the branch against whom similar allegations have been levelled by a liquor vend owner.

A ghee or clarified butter supplier has alleged that some policemen had taken Rs 18,000 from his pocket and asked for Rs 3.70 lakh for getting his ghee samples passed and ensuring that no case was registered against him. (Bloomberg/For representational purposes)

A complaint was lodged by the ghee supplier from Barwala in Haryana on December 2, alleging extortion by Chandigarh policemen following which the inquiry was marked by the DIG Chandigarh to Ketan Bansal, superintendent of police holding charge of police complaint cell (PCC).

“A complaint was filed with the PCC and an inquiry has been initiated into it,” Bansal confirmed.

The 26-year-old supplier complained that on October 29 this year he was taking 30 cartons of ghee to Sector 26 in Chandigarh when a few policemen in plainclothes allegedly stopped him and took him to the Sector 11 police station. Over there, he alleged, they took Rs 18,000 from his pocket and asked for Rs 3.70 lakh for getting his ghee samples passed and ensuring that no case was registered against him

However, the ghee supplier claimed that even after he paid the money a case was registered against him.

He has now sought action against the policemen involved, submitting their names to the police, but which have been withheld because of the probe.

It is to be noted that crime branch officials during the festive season had set up a naka after receiving information on spurious ghee being sold in city. They claimed to have seized 3.48 quintals of spurious ghee from the light point near colony number 4 after the arrest of three persons, including the ghee supplier in question under section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Other policemen yet to be summoned

Meanwhile, police are yet to summon head constables Anil and Pawan of the crime branch, who were accused by the liquor contractor of extortion.

Anil and Pawan were identified in the video clip submitted by the contractor with his complaint that he was paying them Rs 96,000 per month for the past few months.

“Investigations are continuing and soon these police personnel would be summoned,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, senior superintendent of police, Chandigarh .

Officials revealed that even though no money exchanged hands in the CCTV footage. A case under Section 383 (extortion) of the Indian penal Code (IPC) was registered on November 29 at the Sector 39 police station against unidentified persons. The police had been claiming that around four more liquor contractors have approached us alleging extortion, however they have not provided any evidence and the complaints are being verified.