Police extorting money in drug cases: Jakhar
Wednesday, 16/07/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140716/punjab.htm#8
Chandigarh : Ahead of the presentation of the state's Budget tomorrow, where the Congress is seeking a special discussion on the drug menace in the state, Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar today alleged that some police officials were running an extortion racket in the garb of the anti-drug drive.
Addressing the media at his office here, Jakhar gave the instance of a woman of Malout town in Muktsar, whose son Talwinder Singh alias Minto (30) was allegedly kept in illegal confinement for six days and forced to pay Rs 4.1 lakh to the police. Minto, a member panchayat of Malout village, was later booked on drug smuggling charge.
The Muktsar police have denied the allegations. Kuldeep Chahal, Senior Superintendent of Police, claimed that the accused was a "major catch".
"Minto ran a wide racket of smugglers. Four FIRs were already registered against him. He was caught with 930 gm of a synthetic drug. Our investigation has revealed that he was a kingpin of a racket supplying drugs to youths."
The SSP claimed that he had already got an inquiry conducted into the allegations by Minto's family, but their claims were found false.
Accused's mother Kuldeep Kaur alleged a team of the Muktsar police kidnapped Minto from a hotel in Amritsar, forcibly took his ATM card and withdrew Rs 60,000. They later took him to a bank and forced him to withdraw Rs 2.5 lakh on June 23 and another Rs 1 lakh on June 24. He was later shown arrested from Lambi, she alleged.
Jakhar said the CCTV footage at the banks and the ATM could prove their allegation. He said he was airing the genuine grievance of a harassed family and there was no political angle to it.
The charge
A team of Muktsar police 'kidnapped' an alleged drug smuggler Minto from a hotel in Amritsar
They forcibly took his ATM card and withdrew Rs 60,000
They later took him to a bank and forced him to withdraw Rs 3.5 lakh
He was later shown arrested from Lambi
