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Panchkula extortion, stalking case: Haryana DGP asks woman IG to conduct probe
Haryana director general of police (DGP) Manoj Yadava on Thursday ordered an inquiry by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bharti Arora to verify fairness and objectivity
Haryana director general of police (DGP) Manoj Yadava on Thursday ordered an inquiry by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bharti Arora to verify fairness and objectivity of the probe conducted by the Panchkula police in the extortion and stalking case registered against an SHO and a home guard volunteer.
Inspector Ravi Kant Sharma and home guard volunteer, Jashan Pal, posted at the Mansa Devi Complex police station, are facing charges of extorting ₹10,000 every month as ‘protection money’ from a beauty salon owner, and stalking and harassing his female manager.
The IG will also probe why the salon owner was giving monthly payments to the cops.
While the inspector is absconding since his suspension on Wednesday, Pal’s police remand was extended by one day on Thursday.
The case was registered following a complaint by the beauty salon owner, who also submitted CCTV camera footage to the police. The female manager, however, had refuted her employer’s claims before a magistrate, saying that she knew Pal personally.
As per information, the DGP and Haryana home minister Anil Vij discussed the matter on Thursday. Vij reportedly stated that as some allegations against the Panchkula police were coming to the fore, the probe should be conducted from someone outside the local police.
DGP Yadava said a complaint was received at his office on Tuesday, and immediately it was marked to the Panchkula commissioner of police, and an FIR was registered without any delay. “Police have done everything right as per the copy book, without wasting any time. There is no intention or motive of the police to save anyone in the matter,” he added.
The DGP said the IG will probe whether the female manager was under pressure, as she did not support the salon owner’s complaint.
Yadava said even if the woman refuted the allegations, the case stood as they had video footage and a written complaint from the salon owner. “In the video, the home guard can be seen taking money, which is strong evidence. Further, his mobile phone has been sent to the DIATEC lab in Gurugram for forensic investigation,” he added.
Inspector Sharma’s mobile phone has been switched off since he was sent to police lines on Tuesday night. Commissioner of police (CP) Saurabh Singh said, “Our teams are working to trace him. A notice has been issued to him to join investigation, as his role is under scanner.”
Singh also interrogated the home guard volunteer at the Sector 7 police station, after getting the premises vacated.
Some voice recordings of conversations between the SHO and Pal were also submitted with the CCTV footage. “The home guard is talking with the SHO regarding some payments in the audio files. They may have been collecting monthly payments from other businesses in MDC as well. It is being probed,” an official privy to the investigation said.
