Bid to frame police medal winner

According to Patel’s complaint, lodged with Adalaj Police Station, the DIG, along with four inspectors and two sub-inspectors, beat him up to extract a confession from him in another highway robbery, in which two businessmen were killed and Rs 1.5 crore was looted on the busy Ahmedabad-Mehsana Highway on March 21, 1998.

Patel said he was taken to Johri’s office from the jail and beaten up.

Officers point out several weak links in the case, which was registered afew days after Johri was removed as DIG of Gandhinagar range and posted as DIG (Hq) at Ahmedabad. They describe it as an “attempt to fix Johri”.

But Director General of Police C P Singh, surprisingly, said he was not aware of the details. Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya sought to play down the case, saying, “Registration of FIR does not mean Geetha Johri is guilty. Anyone can register an FIR.”

Johri just said, “I hope justice will be done and the case will be investigated by some independent agency.” Yadav has entrusted investigation of Patel’s complaint to DySP S V Morya.

Meanwhile, a senior officer said, “Anyone familiar with the working of the police” could not believe Patel’s story. For, the police had to produce an accused before a magistrate for taking his remand. During trial, he has to be produced before the magistrate every fortnight. While in jail, he can always ask for paper and ink to write letters to courts.

“In four months, Patel did not avail any of these opportunities.One fine day, he decides to make a complaint and the police entertains it!” the officer wondered.

Former DGP P K Dutta, asked for his opinion, described the case as “poppycock”. He said “whosoever did it” perhaps wanted to embarrass Johri, but “nothing will finally come out of it”.

Fingers are being pointed at district police chief R S Yadav who, it is said, wanted to settle a personal score with Johri. Police said Johri had some time ago complained to the DGP that Yadav was not taking his work seriously, nor reporting to her on the daily crime situation. Yadav, however, denied any personal motive, but said, “Truth will come out soon”.

Interestingly, Yadav, as the district police chief, was directly supervising investigation of the Rs 1.5-crore robbery. But, all except him in the investigating team have been named as accused. Commenting on the matter, an officer wondered how Yadav could distance himself from “whatever may have happened”.