Journalism of Courage
Express Special: In first such arrests in sticker extortion case, two cops held; role of 4 more under probe
Acted as intermediaries between targeted cops and extortionists: Sources
This sticker extortion racket unearthed by the Delhi Police is part of a larger organised syndicate that had been operating across the Capital for over a decade. (Express Photo)
In the first arrests involving the personnel of the Delhi Police in the sticker extortion racket case, the Crime Branch has apprehended an assistant sub-inspector and a constable, The Indian Express has learnt. A syndicate operating in the Capital, which was busted last November, allegedly blackmailed traffic police personnel using purported videos showing them accepting bribes.
The accused officers have been identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Jitender, posted in South Delhi, and Constable Praveen, posted at Adarsh Nagar police station in Northwest Delhi. The role of at least four more police officers — suspected to be in collusion with the alleged extortionists — is currently said to be under scrutiny. “Their involvement is being examined and appropriate action will be taken,” a source said.
The total number of arrests in the case has now gone up to 10, including the leaders of three gangs — Raju Meena, Jeeshan Ali and Rinku Rana. The syndicate allegedly violated the pollution-control and traffic regulations in the Capital by allegedly assuring transporters that no challan would be issued against their vehicles bearing the stickers that were sold to them by the gangs.
The gangs also allegedly pressured or bribed traffic police personnel, while filming them, to let the vehicles with stickers pass without penalising them for violations.
Sources said the two arrested policemen acted as intermediaries between the extortionists and the victims. “Prima facie, it appears that the accused duo functioned as mediators. They would approach the targeted traffic police officers and offer to ‘settle’ the matter for a negotiated amount,” a source said. The probe has further revealed that the arrested policemen allegedly helped the gangs identify vulnerable or ‘high-value’ targets among officers, helping the syndicate function.
Officers said the arrested officers were in touch with Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, one of the alleged kingpins of the racket.
This sticker extortion racket unearthed by the Delhi Police is part of a larger organised syndicate that had been operating across the Capital for over a decade. The racket had come on the radar after Raju Meena allegedly asked for sexual favours from female traffic police personnel for not releasing their videos.
Story continues below this ad
Subsequent investigation led the Crime Branch to uncover the involvement of multiple gangs running parallel operations in the city with structured roles, informers, and digital coordination through messaging platforms.
Investigators have busted at least three such extortion gangs so far.
The gangs are believed to have systematically targeted traffic personnel, exploiting fears of disciplinary action and reputational damage by using spy cameras. Operatives allegedly recorded interactions during routine checks, often editing or manipulating footage to suggest bribery. These clips were then used to blackmail officers, who were threatened with departmental action or public exposure.
Investigators found that the network functioned through a dual system, targeting both commercial vehicle drivers and traffic police personnel. These gangs sold illegal “entry stickers” to transporters for a monthly fee, allowing vehicles to bypass restrictions such as no-entry norms and avoid challans. In several cases, even high-value fines were allegedly settled for nominal amounts through illicit channels, pointing to a parallel enforcement mechanism.
Story continues below this ad
Police have described the racket as a systematic attempt to exploit and undermine traffic enforcement.
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Live Blog