ASI denied anticipatory bail in Panchkula extortion case

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune New Service

Panchkula, May 31

A local court today rejected the anticipatory bail application of the main accused in the extortion racket case, ASI Gurmej Singh.

The police opposed anticipatory bail stating that the ASI was directly involved in the extortion racket and had escaped from police custody. His questioning was required in the case, the police said.

Meanwhile, two arrested accused, Sahil and Mohit, sons of Anil Bhalla and Narinder Khillan, respectively, also filed their bail applications in separate cases registered against them for threatening complainant Sanjeev Garg. The court also rejected their bail applications.

The police have constituted a three-member team to nab the ASI and another prime suspect, Bhalla’s son Akash.

How racket was unearthed

Sanjeev Garg, a resident of Sector 4, in his complaint to the police had stated that he was in the need of Rs 100 crore to invest in a business and to travel abroad. Garg came in contact with Anil Bhalla, who assured the complainant that he would finance his business. Bhalla allegedly demanded Rs 1 crore as interest in advance from the complainant who transferred Rs 45 lakh through RTGS in Bhalla’s bank account besides submitting affidavits and blank documents. When the complainant demanded the loan amount, the suspects, instead of giving him the loan money, demanded the remaining amount from the complainant and threatened that he would get him and his family implicated in a false drugs case if he did not make the rest of the payment. Bhalla also allegedly issued life threats to the complainant.

Garg approached the Panchkula police following which an inquiry was conducted by ACP Vijay Kumar Nehra who found merit in the complaint. Sources said on May 26, DCP Surinder Pal Singh got information that ASI Gurmej, who was in charge of the Sector 2 police post, was pressuring the complainant for a compromise with the suspects. The DCP raided the police post on May 27 and ordered registration of an FIR against the ASI and the other two suspects, Bhalla and Khillan. They were arrested at the spot. However, the ASI fled from the police custody with the help of two head constables Naresh and Rajbir, who were later suspended.

During the investigation, Bhalla’s wife Anju, daughter-in-law Anjali and Anjali’s brother Gaurav were arrested on May 30 and remanded in judicial custody. They were arrested with Rs 4.63 crore, jewellery and two pistols on Monday,.

Earlier, ACP Vijay Kumar Nehra, who was the main inquiry officer in the case, had tendered his resignation after the senior police officers allegedly expressed their anguish over the escape of the ASI. He had stated in his resignation that police stations were running without experienced police station in-charge. However, Nehra joined his duty after taking back his resignation.

Modus operandi

• Financiers Anil Bhalla and Narinder Khillan used to give loan to people after getting their signatures on blank papers.
• Blackmailed their victims by threatening them with implication in false cases.
• Lodged complaints against their victims at the police post where the ASI was in-charge.
• Bhalla’s name figures in 180 cases registered in Panchkula, Dhakoli, Ambala and Mohali.

n Financiers Anil Bhalla and Narinder Khillan used to give loan to people after getting their signatures on blank papers.

n Blackmailed their victims by threatening them with implication in false cases.

n Lodged complaints against their victims at the police post where the ASI was in-charge.

n Bhalla’s name figures in 180 cases registered in Panchkula, Dhakoli, Ambala and Mohali.