Extortion charge: Court directs CBI to book UT cop

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 15

The CBI court of Special Judge Vimal Kumar today ordered registration of an FIR against UT police Inspector SPS Sondhi, posted with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), who has been accused of extortion, corruption and criminal conspiracy.

Inspector SPS Sondhi is in the dock for making an accused sign blank cheques and later withdrawing money from it illegally. The name of Sub-Inspector Nirmal Singh is also mentioned in the complaint.

Harsimranjit Singh, a resident of Ferozepur had filed a criminal complaint in the CBI court, through advocate AS Chahal, stating that he was arrested by Inspector SPS Sondhi from Sector 8 on March 19, 2013. He alleged he was made to sign eight blank cheques by Inspector Sondhi and was subjected to inhumane treatment.

After Harsimranjit was released on bail, he found that Rs 12 lakh were withdrawn from his account by Jaswinder Singh, the complainant in the case registered against him. The amount withdrawn was allegedly shared between the police and Jaswinder Singh, it is alleged.

The complaint

Harsimranjit alleged that while he was in police custody, he was taken to the HDFC Bank’s branch in Sector 40 and was made to write an application to permit breaking of a locker and for transfer of funds in his account.

On return, he was then forced by Inspector SPS Sondhi in presence of other police personnel to issue two cheques in the name of Jaswinder Singh by mentioning the amount of Rs 6 lakh in one of the cheques. He was then taken to a Kotak Mahindra Bank branch and was again forced to sign two cheques in the name of Mandeep Singh for Rs 50,000 and Rs 30,000.

It was also alleged that his police remand of six days was taken on the pretext that he had to be taken to Hyderabad for investigation, but he was never taken there.

He was then terrorised by the police that if he disclosed the fact of signing of blank cheques after he was released from jail, he would be implicated in more cases. It was also alleged that surprisingly, the advocate was also arranged for him by Inspector SPS Sondhi.

After his release on bail on June 22, 2013, Harsimranjit got to know that four cheques issued in the name of Mandeep Singh and Jaswinder Singh have been encashed and he suspected that the amounts were shared by Inspector SPS Sondhi and others.

In February this year, he lodged a complaint with the CBI against the Inspector and other police personnel but the agency failed to take action following which he moved court.

What the court stated

It is apparent on record that there are ingredients of offences punishable under Sections 120-B of the IPC, Sections 13 (1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 384 read with 120-B of the IPC. The CBI is directed to register a case and conduct further investigation in accordance with law, said the court.