Sector 113 SHO sent to police lines over ‘botched-up’ probe

The Sector 113 police station in-charge was accused of taking a bribe of ₹2.5 lakh from a Parthala village resident in April this year

After a Noida resident levelled bribery charges against the Sector 113 police station in-charge Jitendra Singh, the officer was sent to police lines on Monday, over his alleged negligence in investigating three cases, said senior police officers, adding that these cases are not related to the bribery complaint.

On Tuesday, sub-inspector Ravindra Kumar, posted as the police post-in-charge of Parthala was also suspended in connection with a separate though similar matter, police said. (HT Photo)

The Sector 113 police station in-charge was accused of taking a bribe of ₹2.5 lakh from a Parthala village resident in April this year.

Shakti Avasthy, additional deputy commissioner of police (Noida), said, “The SHO was posted to police lines as he did not take action in a case related to the loot of an iPhone from a passerby outside a high-rise society in Sector 120 on August 1,” said Avasthy.

He added that while the action was taken the very day the bribery allegations surfaced, the two are not related.

As for the bribery complaint, according to complainant Satish Yadav, the incident happened on April 9,2023, and he submitted a complaint against the SHO and subinspector along with video and photographic evidence to the Gautam Budh Nagar police commissioner Laxmi Singh on Monday afternoon.

“As a bit of construction work is going on in our house, our next door neighbours alleged that their walls are cracking because of the work. Over this, on April 9, an argument broke out between my family and our neighbours after which at least 15 of them assaulted us. We dialled the police helpline number 112, and police reached the spot. But instead of picking them up, they picked up my brother and me and put us in the lock-up,” Yadav said.

He alleged that the police did not take action even after he submitted a complaint against his neighbours. “It seemed that the station in-charge Jitendra Singh was hand in glove with the other party as he forced me to take back my complaint and reach a compromise with them by paying ₹2 lakh to them and ₹2.5 lakh to him. When I refused, the officer beat me up and threatened to put me in jail in a false case,” said the 45-year-old.

“The next day, I managed to arrange the cash and gave ₹2 lakh to the opposite party and ₹2.5 lakh as bribe to the Sector 113 police station in-charge. However, the torture and harassment did not end. Last week, after a family member of the opposing party died of a heart attack, the family members protested on the Parthala Bridge to pressure police into implicating me in his death, following which I was again forced to pay a bribe by the in-charge to compromise the matter,” said Yadav.

A video in connection with this case was shared on social media on Monday wherein Jitendra Singh is seen sitting on a chair and recording a video during the money transaction being carried out between the complainant and the opposite party.

On Tuesday, sub-inspector Ravindra Kumar, posted as the police post-in-charge of Parthala was also suspended in connection with a separate though similar matter, police said.

“An inquiry was launched into a case of cross-FIRs registered in April this year by two parties who are neighbours in Sector 112 and had a dispute that turned violent. The FIR was registered by both sides under charges of assault and criminal intimidation. We had received complaints against Ravindra Kumar for not taking action in the case following which an inquiry was initiated. He was found guilty of negligence and suspended on Tuesday,” said Avasthy.