Suspension of SHO facing extortion charges revoked

HISAR: In view of shortage of manpower in the police, the authorities have revoked the suspension of Inspector Saroj Bala, former SHO, Women police station, who was suspended after the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) booked her in a case of extortion and corruption on April 29.

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, December 18

In view of shortage of manpower in the police, the authorities have revoked the suspension of Inspector Saroj Bala, former SHO, Women police station, who was suspended after the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) booked her in a case of extortion and corruption on April 29.

The SHO was suspended following registration of a criminal case after the arrest of her driver Surender in a raid by the SVB. Surender was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe to hush up a complaint of rape filed against Bhiwani resident Rajesh, working at a hotel in Hisar. The complainant allegedly honey trapped him to extort money.

Rajesh was approached by the SHO to ‘settle’ the matter and demanded Rs 3 lakh. He, however, filed a complaint against the SHO with the SVB. On April 28, a vigilance team caught Surender and middleman Yogesh while accepting money from Rajesh. During interrogation, Surender revealed that he was acting at the behest of SHO Saroj Bala.

The SHO along with her driver Surender was booked under Sections 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture), 389 (putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 195 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. After the extortion racket came to the fore, Saroj Bala and her cohorts went underground. She later joined the probe after getting anticipatory bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Shiv Charan, SP, said that due to shortage of staff, they requested the IGP, Hisar, for revocation of the suspension of nine police personnel, including Saroj Bala, before the municipal corporation polls.

The suspension of all nine police personnel was revoked after the approval of the IGP, he said, adding Saroj Bala had been deployed in the Police Lines. The SP said that the criminal case and the departmental inquiry against these police personnel were still going on.

Sharif Singh, DSP, SVB, said, “Our investigation is going on and we will file the chargesheet in court soon.”

DGP BS Sandhu said that the decision regarding revocation of suspension was taken at the level of IGP.