New Delhi: Four police officers, among them a former Station House Officer (SHO) of Muradnagar police station, were apprehended on Monday on charges of soliciting a bribe amounting to Rs 2 lakh to close a fake dowry case. The accused officers have been identified as Satish Kumar, the ex-SHO; Lalchand Kannaujia, the case’s investigating officer; Bhuvnesh Kumar, the second investigating officer; and head constable Vikash Kumar.
The incident came to light following a complaint filed by Raghupal Singh, a resident of Muzaffarnagar. In 2022, Singh’s son, Purshottam, an engineer in the merchant navy, was in discussions for a marriage proposal with a family from Muradnagar. However, the negotiations fell through, leading to the girl’s family lodging an FIR against Singh and his son under the Dowry Act in April 2022.
The police failed to gather any evidence during the investigation in support of the dowry case, but despite no evidence, Constable Vikash Kumar demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from Raghupal Singh over a phone call to settle the case. Singh alleged that when he attempted to report the matter to superiors, Satish Kumar, Lalchand Kannaujia, and Bhuvnesh Kumar started to threaten him and even suggested fabricating charges against his son.
After getting fed up with the threats and warnings, Singh filed a complaint with the police, and after nearly a year, an FIR has been registered. I possess all the evidence against these officers, Singh added.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for the rural zone, Vivek Yadav, stated that based on preliminary investigations, an FIR has been lodged against the four officers at the Muradnagar police station.
Responding to queries about the delayed FIR, Yadav explained that Singh initially reported an inadequate investigation. Subsequently, an initial probe was conducted, during which Singh disclosed the bribery aspect, supported by audio evidence. Following a general inquiry, Singh filed a formal complaint on Saturday, leading to the registration of an FIR on Sunday.
The DCP further assured that the police are actively investigating the matter.