Additional SHO, 3 others rob businessman of Rs 1.01 crore; accused cop dismissed

Interestingly, when the businessman reached the Sector 39 police station on the next day to file a complaint, Phogat returned him Rs 75 lakh, terming these Rs 84 lakh on August 5. Goyal lodged an FIR against the policeman and three others identified as Sarvesh of Bathinda, Jetinder and Ankit Gill of Mohali on Sunday.

SSP (UT) Kanwardeep Kaur said that she has dismissed the Phogat, who along with three others, is absconding. The SSP added that raids are on to arrest them. Police have taken Rs 75 lakh out of Rs 1.01 crore in its possession as the case property.

The dismissed police officer had been earlier also been suspended for his involvement in a rape case, but later reinstated following his acquittal from a local court in 2020. He was posted as the additional SHO of Sector 39 police station in May.

“As the matter came into our knowledge, we lodged an FIR under the charges of kidnapping, extortion, robbery against SI Naveen Phogat and three others. SI Phogat was dismissed from the police services with immediate effect,” Kanwardeep said, adding that role of two other policemen who were in plain clothes, is also under the scanner.

She added that Goyal was lured to come to Chandigarh to exchange Rs 1 crore to Rs 500 notes with Rs 2,000 notes.
“On August 4, I received a call from a known Survesh, a money exchanger in Aero City Mohali, asking me if I could exchange the currency notes of Rs 2,000 which amounted to Rs 1 crore with the currency notes of Rs 500. I affirmed and arranged the cash,” Goyal said in his complaint.

He added that he proceeded from Bathinda in his Honda City car with his friend Raj Kumar, who was driving the vehicle. “We reached Aero City Mohali in the evening and there we met a turbaned man, who introduced himself as Jetinder, one of the friends of Sarvesh. He asked us to follow his black-coloured Mercedes,” the complainant added.
On reaching the Thakur Tikki market at Sector 40, Jetinder descended his Mercedes and entered their car. Another person to whom Jetinder called, one Gill Sahib also entered their car. “They told me to show the money. I produced two packets of Rs 20 lakh each and told them Rs 60 lakh was kept in the boot of my car. They asked us to wait for a few moments,” Goyal further said.

The complaint added that around 7.30 pm, three men including one dressed in the police uniform appeared near his car and asked him to show his car’s boot. “The uniformed man whom I later identified as SI Naveen Phogat captured the driving seat of my car and his two accomplices also joined us in my car. They took me to the Sector 40 police beat box and threatened me with dire consequences” Goyal added.

He said that the accused “forcefully” took away Rs 1.01 crore from his car to their four-wheeler Duster. “Later, they took me and my driver Raj Kumar to near Ziri Mandi at Sector 39. They threatened us that if we demanded money, they will implicate us in heroin smuggling and under Arms Act,” the complainant added.

According to sources, the “frightened” businessman preferred to leave Chandigarh and after reaching home, he informed his family members, who insisted him to lodge a police complaint. On August 5, when the businessman reached Sector 39 police station to lodge a complaint, he found Phogat standing there in the police uniform. Sensing things might go against him, Phogat returned Rs 75 lakh to Goyal claiming he is returning Rs 84 lakh, sources added.