Four UP cops booked for abducting criminals and extorting money [Representative image] | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Key Highlights The accused used inputs available to them being members of the police force to target tribal and nomadic people with criminal background A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the matter and the accused have been suspended The preliminary inquiry has favoured charges leveled against the accused and the police suspect that they are part of a bigger nexus

Meerut: A shocking case has come to light from Bulandshahr, where the police slapped charges of abduction and extortion against four of its officials for allegedly kidnapping persons with a criminal background and then extorting money from their relative by means of encounter threats. On the basis of a complaint registered by a lawyer, the police booked three head constables and one constable.

All four accused, identified as Sanjeev Malik, Zakir Hussain, Yograj Singh (all head constables) and Dheeraj Kumar (constable), are posted at the Sikandarabad Police Station in Bulandshahr. All accused have been suspended from services till enquiry. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been commissioned for probing the matter.

Accused targeted tribals, nomads with criminal background

SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Kumar, while speaking to the Times of India, said that there is evidence which indicates that the four policemen were involved in abducting people, especially the ones who hailed from tribal or nomadic communities. After the kidnapping, they used to demand money from their relatives by threatening them. Their threats ranged from slapping criminal charges to carrying out police encounter of the abducted person.

'Accused part of larger nexus'

Kumar said that the police swung into action after receiving some inputs and initiated a departmental investigation. The preliminary investigation has favoured most of the claims made against the accused. The investigation indicated that the people from the tribal community, who had a criminal background, were trapped into the well-organised extortion set up. Further, the investigating officials suspect that the accused could be part of a larger nexus with several other police officials from neighbouring districts being part of it.

Modus operandi of accused

The accused took advantage of inputs available to them against criminal as members of the police force. Using this information they targeted people and abducted them. Then, they would use the abducted victim’s phone and would demand ransom from his family by threatening them with his encounter.