Fake sting: Khurana can't be nailed

TNN / Oct 31, 2007, 01:21 IST

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Delhi Police failed to back up its allegations with evidence against school teacher Uma Khurana who was allegedly shown taking part in a prostitution racket in the fake television sting operation.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police failed to back up its allegations with evidence against school teacher Uma Khurana who was allegedly shown taking part in a prostitution racket in a television sting operation which later turned out to be fake.
In its chargesheet filed in the case in court on Tuesday against reporter Prakash Singh, Uma Khurana and two others in the fake sting operation case, the Crime Branch admitted that though prima facie an offence was made out against Uma, ''there was insufficient evidence against her to frame charges.''
The police, while persisting with the claim that Khurana had committed an offence by passing one Rashmi Singh as a prostitute to Prakash Singh who was posing as a businessman, said this by itself wasn't enough to press charges against her and has now left it to the court to decide if she needs to be discharged.
Incidentally, the failure of the police to garner any evidence against Khurana comes in the backdrop of the Delhi High Court closely monitoring the case. HC has already taken suo moto cognisance of the matter and had pulled up the police for harassing and hounding Khurana purely on the basis of a sting which turned out to be fake.

''As far as Uma Khurana is concerned, though despite being a school teacher she knowingly and willingly handed over Rashmi Singh to Prakash Singh believing Rashmi Singh was a prostitute and Prakash Singh an exporter... so that she would get a lucrative business deal, she seems to have committed an offence under section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act (procuring, including or taking a person for the sake of prostitution). However, there is no sufficient evidence against her,'' the chargesheet states.

However, the cops have gone ahead and charged the Prakash, Virender Arora and Rashmi Singh, under various sections of the IPC for entering into criminal conspiracy, fabricating and use of false evidences, impersonation, cheating as well as forgery.
According to the chargesheet, investigation had revealed that Virender Arora had some monetary dispute with the teacher Uma Khurana. Arora then got in touch with reporter Prakash Singh and allegedly told him that Khurana was a cheat and could be involved in flesh trade. Prakash, the chargesheet alleges, felt that such a sting would create a sensation, if Khurana was shown as a part of a prostitution racket involving girl students, as she was a teacher in a girls school.
It further adds that, on the advice of Virender Arora, Prakash Singh introduced himself as an exporter dealing in clothes and jewellery to Uma. Prakash then met her on July 15, 2007 and asked her to arrange some girls for the 'entertainment' of certain prospective buyers. Khurana then contracted accused Arora for arrangement of the girl. Arora and Prakash then made efforts to arrange a girl but failed, continues the chargesheet. It was at this stage that Prakash decided to rope in Rashmi Singh, promising her she will be projected as his assistant in the sting.
The chargesheet reveals that during her interrogation, Khurana had allegedly admitted to delivering the girl, Rashmi, to Prakash thinking that she was a prostitute as she did not want to miss the lucrative export business deal promised by Prakash.
Talking to TimesCity, Uma Khurana said: ''I am extremely happy with today's report. I always had faith in judiciary and the role of police in investigating the case. I wish to go back to my school because that will restore normalcy to my routine.''

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