Police personnel created WhatsApp group to coordinate tracking, abduction of dentist, says CBI chargesheet

According to the CBI chargesheet, S-I Suresh Kumar created the WhatsApp group “Dhawan” on January 7, 2022, about 9.30 am while being present at the District Court Complex in Sector 43.

The stated objective, as per the CBI, was to locate, track and abduct Dr Dhawan, thereby “clearly demonstrating premeditation and criminal conspiracy”.

As per the CBI chargesheet, the forensic examination of Head Constable Rinku Ram’s mobile phone — seized on September 30, 2025, in the presence of independent witnesses — became a key piece of evidence.

The device was reopened for data extraction on October 1 with technical assistance from a CBI programmer, and resealed on October 7 after the process was completed.

As per the chargesheet, analysis of the phone allegedly confirmed that at least 11 police personnel had been added to the WhatsApp group, including several of the accused and other officials.

Between 9.44 am and 10.26 am on the day of the incident, S-I Suresh allegedly shared photographs of Dr Dhawan, his vehicle and even details of his advocates, instructing members of the group to identify him by his clothing, mentions the chargesheet.

One message cited in the CBI chargesheet directed participants to share clothing details once he was spotted.

At 10.29 am, Constable Vikas Hooda allegedly uploaded a photograph of the dentist (Dr Dhawan) taken inside the court premises. The chargesheet notes that S-I Suresh responded with “Good”, which investigators interpret as confirmation that the target had been positively identified and the operation could proceed.

The CBI alleges in the chargesheet that immediately after the abduction — estimated between 10.30 am and 10.40 am — ASI Ajmer Singh sent a message at 11.01 am directing all members to assemble near the local bus stand gate, followed by another message reading “Abhi,” indicating regrouping after execution of the operation.

The CBI chargesheet claims that several members were subsequently removed from the group allegedly by S-I Suresh, which the CBI says clearly indicated “post-operation concealment measures”.

These chats, when analysed alongside CCTV footage from the ISBT-43 police post, call data records, internet protocol data records, vehicle movement logs and eyewitness statements, establish real-time coordination and division of roles, the CBI chargesheet states.

The agency stated in chargesheet that the abduction “was not incidental but deliberate, pre-planned and intended to frustrate judicial proceedings”.

The vehicle allegedly used in the kidnapping was a private Hyundai i20 belonging to one of the accused, Vikas Hooda, investigators added.

The case dates back to January 7, 2022, when Dr Dhawan, a Sector 21 resident, alleged he was picked up by a Crime Branch team from outside the district courts complex to prevent him from appearing before a judge.

As per his complaint, he had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a criminal matter and had been directed to appear before the district court. He alleged that instead of allowing him to do so, policemen detained him and produced him in court the next day, obtaining seven days’ remand. He remained in jail for nearly two months before securing bail.

Following his release, Dhawan challenged the police action in court. The High Court ordered a Special Investigation Team probe by the Punjab Police, but the Chandigarh Administration contested the HC orders before the Supreme Court.

In August 2024, the Supreme Court modified the order and handed the investigation to the CBI, which later registered an FIR under IPC sections 365 and 34 for alleged kidnapping with common intent.