Sonu’s toll protection racket exposed, police set to book him under MCOCA

Police found that for offering such “protection”, Sonu would take Rs 3-Rs 5 lakh per month from each toll collector.

Three months after arresting dreaded gangster Sonu Dariyapur, the Delhi Police Special Cell is set to book him under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The department said it has initiated proceedings against him and has sent the case file to the legal department.

Sonu alias Satyawan Sehrawat had emerged as Delhi’s most-wanted criminal, with a  Rs 5 lakh reward on his head — the same as the reward for India’s most-wanted terrorist and suspected Indian Mujahideen chief Amir Raza Khan. Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik had announced the reward after Sonu allegedly gunned down rival Bhupender Dariyapur alias Monu, his friend Arun Shetty and ASI Vijay Singh, who had been assigned Monu’s security detail, in outer Delhi on April 30. Sonu was also wanted in other cases of murder, attempt to murder and extortion in Delhi and Haryana.

He was arrested on September 14 following a brief shootout with police in Narela, and an FIR was registered under IPC sections 186, 353, 332 and 323 as well as several sections of the Arms Act.

“During questioning, police unearthed the extortion racket he was operating by offering protection to toll collectors based in Delhi and Haryana,” a senior police officer said. Explaining the modus operandi, a senior officer said toll agencies usually outsource the toll collection work to local “musclemen”. It is here that gangsters such as Neeraj Bawania, Manjeet Mahal and Sonu Dariyapur step in, offering protection to the musclemen so no that other criminal gang interferes in their business.

Police found that for offering such “protection”, Sonu would take Rs 3-Rs 5 lakh per month from each toll collector. “Sometime he would also strike a deal with leading transporters. For example, he would tell them that in exchange for a fee, they can get 10 of their trucks in without paying toll,” an officer said.

Sources said a case file has been prepared by ACP (New Delhi range) Govind Sharma, and police are likely to register a fresh FIR against Sonu.  “Police have sought a legal opinion since the accused needs to be running an organised syndicate for a MCOCA case. Plus, two chargesheets need to have been filed against the gangster within 10 years. The Special Cell has filed a chargesheet against Sonu in connection with the firing at the time of his arrest, and another chargesheet is likely to be filed in connection with a  9 mm carbine case recovered during a raid,” police sources said, adding that police have in the past booked Bawania, Mahal, Pradeep Solanki, Nafe Mantri and Hemant Pradhan under MCOCA.

Once booked under this law, the accused cannot get bail or parole, and there is no provision for anticipatory bail.