Noida: Gang extorting money from car drivers threatening 'rape charge' busted, 4 cops among 15 held

With the arrest of 15 people, including four policemen and two women, the Noida Police Tuesday claimed to have busted a gang that allegedly extorted money from car drivers after threatening them with rape charges, senior officials said. A police nexus has also emerged in the case and a sub-inspector, who was in charge of a police outpost, three constables and three private drivers of a police control room (PCR) van were also held, they said.

Two women, who were also partners in the crime, were caught red-handed while "settling a matter" with a victim for Rs 50,000 late Monday night near Sector 44 police outpost, the officials said. A few days ago, the Noida Police were alerted about a gang that extorted money from car drivers near Sector 44 police outpost, Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna, said.

"A woman member of the gang would hitchhike a car ride on some pretext and ask the driver to stop the vehicle near the Sector 44 police outpost. She would then approach the PCR van stationed nearby and complain to police personnel of rape by the driver," he said. The matter would then be taken to a police outpost where some 'relatives' of the woman would also arrive. Then they would threaten the driver with legalese and he would eventually offer to settle the matter in lieu of some money, Krishna said.

"There would also be a 'lawyer' from the woman's side, while a 'chairman sahab' would also arrive at the police outpost who would be introduced to the victim as some eminent personality called in to negotiate the deal," the SSP added. The Noida Police chief, who led the action last midnight, said he had received a couple of similar reports about this nexus, including cases where victims were made to cough up to Rs 6 lakh or leave behind their car at the police post.

He said the police post in charge was running the nexus since his posting there in March and is reported to have been doing this during earlier postings as well. A trap was laid to nab the gang Monday night.

The accused were caught red-handed while accepting money from a car driver who was set up by the police for settling a matter, he said. Fifteen people have been arrested, including the Sector 44 police outpost in-charge Sunil Sharma, constables Manoj Kumar, Ajayveer Singh and Devendra Singh, three private drivers of PCR 50 Vipin Singh, Durgesh Kumar and Rajesh Singh, police said.

Others have been identified as Anoop, Satish alias Ankit, Hariom Sharma, Suresh Kumar Singh, Deshraj and the women Vineeta and Pooja Singh, they said, adding that Vineeta is Ankit's wife who is a key member of the gang. Around Rs 50,000 and three cars -- a Honda City, a Hyundai Verna and a Hyundai i10, were recovered from the police post, police said.

All the accused have been charged with the Indian Penal Code Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (being party to a criminal conspiracy) and 411 (receiving stolen property), they said. The arrested policemen have been additionally booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, police said.

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