Greater Noida:
The 25-year-old son of a police sub-inspector was arrested on Friday night for allegedly assaulting and trying to extort protection money from a roadside fruit vendor in Sector Zeta 1.
The victim, identified as Durgesh, was selling fruits outside a high-rise in Sector Zeta 1 on May 19 when the incident occurred, the police said.
The vendor alleged that the suspect, along with three of his friends, approached him and asked for Rs 1,000 as protection money to continue selling fruits in the area. The complainant also said that the suspects were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
“When I told them that I did not have the money, they brought a stick from their car and started assaulting me and vandalized my vend. Then they fled the spot,” said the vendor in his police complaint.
An FIR was registered at Surajpur police station on Friday, the police said.
The vendor alleged that the police tried to get the case settled without registering his FIR for almost three days and asked him to take Rs 2,000 from the suspect’s family. The incident came to light on Friday when its purported video started doing rounds on social media.
{{/usCountry}}The vendor alleged that the police tried to get the case settled without registering his FIR for almost three days and asked him to take Rs 2,000 from the suspect’s family. The incident came to light on Friday when its purported video started doing rounds on social media.
{{/usCountry}}However, police officials denied any delay in registering the case.
“The prime suspect, Mohit, is the son of a sub-inspector posted with the Noida fire department. He was arrested on Friday night itself, while the role of other people is being investigated. Due legal action will be taken against all involved,” said Harish Chandra, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 2.
The police said that the authenticity of the extortion bid claim is being verified, along with any other attempts of the suspects to take money from vendors.
Mohit was produced before a magistrate and later sent to jail, the police said.