3 GRP constables suspended for extorting at Vasai Road station

While keeping them in illegal detention, the cops allegedly threatened to arrest the passengers for suspicious activity and loitering

MUMBAI: The Government Railway Police (GRP) have suspended three of their constables for allegedly extorting ₹5,000 from a passenger at the Vasai Road Railway Station on June 13.

Vasai Road Station

The suspended constables were identified as Milind Satav, Sachin Valve, and Kiran Aavle. They allegedly demanded ₹15,000 from the victim as a penalty for merely standing and talking to his friend on the foot overbridge (FOB) in the station.

According to the suspension order, on the evening of June 13, Prabhu and his friend were talking to each other on the FOB at Vasai Road station. Despite no misconduct or unlawful activity on their part, Satav and Valve approached them and allegedly seized Prabhu’s phone. They took the passengers to the railway police chawki set up in a room within the Vasai Road railway station premises.

As per Prabhu’s complaint, the chawki had no CCTV cameras. While keeping them in illegal detention, the cops allegedly threatened to arrest the passengers for suspicious activity and loitering. The cops then allegedly demanded a penalty of ₹15,000 for standing and talking on the FOB. Eventually, constable Aavle facilitated an online payment of ₹5,000 via a UPI QR Code belonging to a money transfer agent outside the railway station. This was done without issuing any official receipt or citing legal provisions for imposing the penalty.

The complainant also alleged that there is a possibility that other passengers may also have been subjected to similar extortion, though such cases remain unreported.

Five days ago, three GRP officers were suspended after three cops extorted ₹30,000 from a Rajasthan-based businessman at the Mumbai Central station.