Graft case: CBI finds no direct conversation between Chandigarh inspector, co-accused
Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Chandigarh, March 8
Seven months after an FIR was registered against three persons, including a constable, in an alleged bribery case, the CBI stated that it found no direct call or conversation of Inspector Harinder Singh Sekhon with the complainant and the other accused.
The name of the inspector surfaced after the CBI arrested two accused in an alleged corruption case. The case was registered on July 31 last year against Pawan, a constable of PCR, Chandigarh Police, Manish Dubey, alias Bablu, and Anil Kumar, alias Kuki, following a complaint by one Deepak.
The complainant had alleged that on July 22, 2023, some cops came to his shop and told him that the inspector posted in the Sector 26 Operation Cell was calling him. He went along with them. At the operation cell, Constable Pawan and the inspector were present and the former asked him whether he knew a person by the name of Mani. They told him that Mani was an accused in a case. They had found a chat between Mani and him in his phone, following which they would nominate him in the FIR. He alleged that the cops assured him that if he paid Rs 7 lakh to them as bribe, they would not add his name in the FIR. He said later he received a call from Bablu, an aquaintance, who told him that one of his friends, Kuki, was friends with Pawan and the inspector. The complainant stated that Pawan had told him he had to give Rs 5 lakh of bribe money to either Bablu or Kuki at the earliest. He said as he did not want to give bribe, he approached the CBI.
On his complaint, a case was registered against Constable Pawan, Bablu and Kuki under Section 120-B of the IPC and Sections 7, 7-A and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI laid a trap and apprehended Bablu and Kuki at the Industrial Area, Chandigarh, on July 31, 2023, while demanding and accepting Rs 3,00,000 on behalf of Constable Pawan.
In the supplementary chargesheet filed against Constable Pawan, the CBI stated that during investigation, no direct call or conversation of suspect Harinder Singh Sekhon was found with the complainant and other accused. It established that Deepak was called by him at the operation cell on July 18, 19 and 27, 2023, in the case without the knowledge of the IO of the case.
The facts and circumstances established that Pawan entered into criminal conspiracy with co-accused Anil and Manish.
