Crime branch cop in the dock over extortion

NEW DELHI:A trial court on Tuesday directed the commissioner of Delhi Police to initiate criminal proceedings against Ravi Shankar, additional DCP, crime branch, and three others of the special cell for allegedly extorting money from people by threatening to implicate them in a false case. Chief metropolitan magistrate VinodYadav asked the Delhi Police chief to register an FIR against Ravi Shankar, whowas earlier posted as ACP, special cell, inspector Anil Dureja , sub-inspectorGajender and head constable Hari Kishan. The court was hearing acase of theft of cable wires. While acquitting the five persons arrested by thespecial cell, which alleged that they were involved in the theft of cable wires,the court concluded that the police officers had framed the accused in the casein order to extort money from them. It also expressed deep concernover the misuse of power by the special cell that has been set up to deal withterrorists and anti-social elements . “The police officers are of thespecial cell, which is supposed to be a premier investigating agency of theDelhi Police. It has been created to deal with cases of terrorism andanti-social elements. This is a classic example of how and to what extent policeofficers can go in framing persons , extorting money and then making them sufferthe ignominy of criminal prosecution by sheer misuse of the power ofinvestigation granted to them under the Code of Criminal Procedure,” Yadavsaid. The court passed the order after none of the witnesses in thecase supported the stand of the special cell. They also said the accused hadnever tried to extort money from anyone. “This court hereby directs thatan FIR under appropriate sections of law be registered against thepolicemen,” the judge said. He said sub-inspector Gajendra, who was theinvestigating officer (IO) in the case, in league with his senior officers inthe special cell, northern region , filed concocted charges against the accusedat the behest of complainant Rajeev Pahuja, the director of North Delhi CableNetwork . “The IO went ahead in his zeal to frame the accusedand in the process filed a false report after the real one was torn to shredsand extorted money from the accused by threatening to implicate them in a MCOCAcase,” he said while noting that there were several lapses in thepro