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How a ₹30K loan to a Delhi cop led to a man facing 55 fake criminal cases
Over the next three decades, police stations, courtrooms and jail cells consumed his life. Eventually, he was acquitted in every case
Thirty-four years ago, Irfan Ali struck a deal that would change his life.
Ali worked in the garments business and ran a side hustle as an informal moneylender. In 1990, he loaned ₹30,000 to Delhi Police constable Abdul Qadir and his cousin Munna. The deal was swift and uncomplicated. What sure-fire promise of trust than lending to a policeman, after all?
But that loan, Ali alleges, cost him dearly: Qadir not only refused to repay Ali, but also embroiled him in 55 false criminal cases over the next 15 years. The unremarkable part-time loan shark and full-time garments merchant from Jamia Nagar was soon labelled a “bad character”, a thief, and a terrorist. He even spent 11 months behind bars.
Over the next three decades, police stations, courtrooms and jail cells consumed his life. Eventually, he was acquitted in every single one of those cases.
At the same time, Qadir remained under the radar, received an out-of-turn promotion “for his successful record of arrests” and was made a sub inspector.
Now, Ali says he wants justice. Earlier this month, he moved the Delhi high court accusing the police of decades of “torture” and harassment as he sought an apology from the police commissioner and ₹80 lakh in compensation. The court on November 12 asked the Delhi Police to investigate his allegations and directed the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (PHQ) to file a report within four weeks.
“One loan almost ended my life… I was harassed for decades and could not do anything,” Ali, now 56, said.
While Qadir could not be contacted, a senior police official said he was posted in the special cell and special staff sometime back. HT tried to reach out to multiple departments, but senior officers did not share his details.
One loan to fool them all
Documents HT accessed show that Ali in 1990 lent Qadir and his cousin Munna ₹30,000. Ali said Munna was a neighbour and sought “urgent funds” for a relative.
“I gave him money because I knew Qadir was his cousin and thought they would repay in time,” he said.
“After six months, I met Munna and asked him to repay me. Initially, he ignored me and refused to talk to me. Then, I went to his house and told him to give me at least some part of the loan,” said Ali.
He claims he lives to rue that conversation.
“I didn’t know I would pay such a price…” said Ali. Soon, his clean rap sheet would be blotted beyond recognition.
The first of the 55 cases cropped up in August 1990. Ali was named as an accused in a car theft case in Malviya Nagar police station, where Qadir was posted. He was later picked up from his house and arrested. In the same year, Ali alleged that he received threats from Qadir and three other cops.
By December 1991, he was named as an accused in 22 more cases. Documents seen by HT show that a bulk of them were related to thefts and car thefts. One case, filed in Malviya Nagar, was registered under the Arms Act. Another, under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, or TADA, was lodged in May 1991.
The cases were lodged in Malviya Nagar, Tilak Marg, Hauz Khas, Connaught Place and Rajouri Garden police stations.
The time behind bars followed.
Ali was sent to jail once in 1991, twice in 1993, and then once each in 1994, 2000, 2004 and 2006. Each time he spent a few weeks or months behind bars before being released on bail.
The first information reports (FIRs) in some of the cases showed that Ali was arrested with “stolen cars” and on the disclosures of “co-accused”.
In his petitions to the court, Ali alleged that Qadir lodged fake cases and then prompted other officials to lodge cases against Ali. Ali also alleged he was being threated. In 2010, the court had ordered the police to ensure that no policeman threatened Ali and that Ali could approach the court if he was being intimidated or threatened. He had filed a plea for CBI enquiry into his cases which was deposed.
“When I was arrested for the first time, my wife and children followed me to the jail. They would cry for days and not eat. Later, I think everyone got used to it,” Ali said.
Ali’s lawyer, M Sufian Siddiqui, said, “It’s a classic case of brazen abuse of the process of law by Delhi Police. We have been filing pleas since 2005-06 and even demanded a CBI enquiry. My client was used as a scapegoat in 55 cases. He was used in cases where police could not make any arrests. He has been acquitted and discharged in all 55 criminal cases without a single conviction or state appeal, he was subjected to a relentless witch-hunt.”
Cases fall apart
As each case went to court, similar patterns began to emerge. Court orders show that the police’s replies in many of the cases were that “no car was recovered” in the case.
In 1996, the TADA charges were dropped and he was acquitted in the case in 2008, said the police.
An investigator involved in that case said, “There was no evidence against him…We think it was a matter of negligence in investigation…nothing more. Qadir was not involved and was even transferred to a New Delhi police station”
Police documents in the TADA case show Ali was arrested based on “secret information” and that the public witness turned hostile and the recovery (a pistol) was not “beyond reasonable”.
Of the 55 criminal cases, Ali was soon discharged in 43 for a lack of evidence and due to the “non-production of court property”.
He was acquitted in the other 12 as witnesses turned hostile and clinching evidence remained in short supply
Senior Delhi Police officers confirmed that all the cases against Ali have either ended in acquittal or discharge.
Ali’s lawyer, M Sufian Siddiqui, said, “We have been filing pleas since 2012. My client was used as a scapegoat in 55 cases. He was used in cases where police could not make any arrests. We have demanded monetary compensation as well as a written apology from the police commissioner.”
A senior police officer at the Delhi Police headquarters said, “We have reviewed most of the cases. It’s a long list and many cases are very old. There has been negligence in some matters, and we have communicated this to the high court. The allegations against Qadir have not been verified yet. An officer of the deputy commissioner of police-level will look into the matter.”
