Clean chit to former DCP implicated in multi-crore heist

In the supplementary charge sheet, filed by STF before the court additional district and sessions judge Taurn Singal on Friday, Setia was mentioned only in column 2 and the probe team said no charge sheet will be filed against him, as he has been given a clean chit in the case

The special task force (STF) investigating the ₹40 crore heist from the maintenance office of a residential society in Sector 82 on August 4, 2021, has dropped the name of former deputy commissioner of police Dheeraj Setia (46), from the main list of suspects.

Setia’s alleged involvement in the heist case came to the fore after one of the accused in the case made a confessional statement, naming Setia and Dr Sachendra Jha Nawal as the main culprits. (Photo for representation)

In the supplementary charge sheet, filed by STF before the court additional district and sessions judge Taurn Singal on Friday, Setia was mentioned only in column 2 and the probe team said no charge-sheet will be filed against him, as he has been given a clean chit in the case.

Setia’s alleged involvement in the heist case came to the fore after one of the accused in the case made a confessional statement, naming Setia and Dr Sachendra Jha Nawal as the main culprits.

Police said based on that statement, a case was registered against Setia under the Prevention of Corruption Act and he was suspended on December 10, 2021. The former DCP was later granted interim bail by the Punjab and Haryana high court on February 24, 2022.

On May 24, 2022, the local court allowed the STF to conduct a polygraph test on Setia. A polygraph test (popularly referred to as a lie-detector test) measures and records several physiological indices such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity while the subject answers a series of questions.

The polygraph test was accordingly conducted on December 12 CBI headquarters in Delhi and the report was submitted to the court.

He was asked four questions related to the case, investigators said. The questions were: Did Dr Sachendra Jha Nawal visited your office and inform you about ₹30-40 crore black money; Did you give the FIR to Dr Nawal to read; and Did Dr Nawal visit your house with gold bricks and foreign currency.

Officers privy to the test said Setia replied in the negative to each question and polygraph cleared him.

After interrogating gangster Vikas Lagarpuria, who was arrested on December 10 in connection with the heist, and later his accomplice Vikrant , a supplementary charge-sheet was filed against them on Friday.

A senior STF officer said Setia was named in column 2, which means that no evidence was found against him in the police investigation and he, thus, was not charge-sheeted.

Senior advocate Amarjeet Yadav, counsel of Dr Nawal, said, “When there was a cross examination between my client and Setia, he clearly stated that there was no discussion regarding any money. The allegation on my client was for planning and handing over the money to DCP but when the DCP himself is not charge-sheeted and has no involvement in the case, than my client should be acquitted from the matter as well. No recovery was made either from Dr Nawal or the DCP; hence, both should be given a clean chit,” he said.