Rajasthan police officer, constables suspended in drugs, extortion cases

A police officer and three constables from Barloot police station here were suspended after they allegedly let off a drug smuggler, along with 141 kg poppy husk they seized from him, in exchange for Rs 10 lakh, according to an official.

In two other cases, two constables were suspended for extorting money from traders during Diwali, while the staff of an entire police post was sent to police lines as punishment for not cracking the whip against illegal liquor trade close to the post.

All three cases were reported in Sirohi, Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Yadav said on Monday.

Yadav said he took disciplinary action against Barloot Station House Officer Seema Jhakar and constables, Om Prakash, Hanuman, and Suresh after the allegations against them were found to be prima facie true in his preliminary investigation.

''The police had seized a vehicle on November 14 evening and 141 kg poppy husk had been recovered from it. The smuggler fled away, taking advantage of darkness as the police used tire busters to stop the vehicle,'' he said.

''But it was later learned that the police struck a deal with the smuggler for Rs 10 lakh. The police sent out a message to the smuggler about the deal. CCTV cameras installed at a hotel have recorded the execution of this deal,'' Yadav said, adding his preliminary investigation, too, held Jhakar and the three constables guilty.

Further investigation of this case has been handed over to Circle Officer Madan Singh, he said.

In another case, two constables were suspended after videos of them extorting money from traders and shopkeepers during Diwali surfaced. In the third case, the entire staff of the Bhatana police post was sent to police lines after the excise department busted the sale of illicit liquor close to the post. Sirohi had in the recent past earned notoriety for the connivance of police with smugglers, especially with those in the illicit liquor trade.

Former SP of Sirohi Himmat Abhilash Tak was suspended after an investigation established his role as a facilitator.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)