Four cops in the dock for framing trader under NDPS Act

Four policemen are in the dock for arresting and sending to jail a merchant under fake charges of NDPS Act after he allegedly asked a police constable to pay for goods purchased from his shop on credit in 2008 in Jaunpur district. After an inquiry into the incident,Sub-Inspectors Rupesh Kumar Singh,Shiv Shankar Singh and Constables Pundev Singh and Vinod Kumar have been booked under various sections of IPC and NDPS Act. The policemen found guilty in the case are attached with Kotwali police station in Jaunpur,said Inspector Pardeep Singh Chandel of Jaunur Kotwali.

“We had also filed our inquiry report in the court where trial is going on. It was found that Kanhaiyalal was wrongly arrested and this was the first case against him,” said Inspector,ACO,RD Yadav,who conducted the inquiry. According to Yadav,in August 2008,the police,in absence of general merchant Kanhaiyalal (52) raided his house. Kanhaiyalal’s shop is at Manni Road,under Kotwali police circle in Jaunpur. Later,Kanhaiyalal faxed a letter to the Chief Minister and the State Human Rights Commission expressing his fear that police would frame him wrongfully. Eight days after the raid,police picked up Kanhaiyalal from his residence and booked him under the NDPS Act,showing recovery of 110 grams of sedative drugs from his possession. He was kept in district jail for nearly two months. Kanhaiyalal’s wife Sushila Devi filed a complaint with UP DGP Office stating that police did not give her any information about him. The DGP office directed Anti-Corruption Organization (ACO) to conduct an inquiry. The agency also took permission from the court where the trial is being conducted before initiating the inquiry. ACO officials recorded statements of several residents of the area and policemen. The investigation revealed that Kanhaiyalal was arrested wrongly. A report was sent to DGP office on whose direction an FIR was lodged against the police team of the Kotwali police station that arrested Kanhaiya.

“When I was at the police station,cops demanded Rs 50,000 for my release. They were annoyed with me because I had asked for my money from a policeman who purchased goods from my shop on credit,” said Kanhaiyalal. According to Kanhaiyalal,on early morning of August 28,2008,policemen came to his residence and forcibly took him with them on the pretext that senior officials wanted to speak to him. At around 8 pm,Kanahiyalal according to police records,was arrested after he was found to be in possession of drugs. He was then sent to jail. “We did not investigate the reasons behind the policemen framing the businessman on fake charges”,said Yadav.