Woman says she was heckled by cops, probe ordered

GREATER NOIDA: A 65-year-old woman has alleged she was heckled and thrown out of Dankaur police station when she sought to know why her son had been picked up in connection with cases of snatching, prompting the senior superintendent of police to launch a probe.
Santo Devi alleged that Dankaur inspector Farmood Ali Pundir “heckled” her on Saturday night when she asked him repeatedly about his son’s arrest and got some of the cops to throw her out of the police station. A video of the incident, possibly shot by one of Santo Devi’s relatives, is being circulated on social media.

Police said Santo Devi’s son Manish (27) was a member of a gang that stole valuables from passengers at Old Delhi railway station after offering them a drink laced with sedatives.

According to Gautam Budh Nagar SP (rural) Suniti, a police team raided Roshanpur village in Dankaur on Saturday night and picked up Manish and Kuldeep (28) following a tip-off. When both the accused were brought to the police station, their relatives followed them there led by Santo Devi.

The elderly woman claimed police had refused to answer her questions on why the two were arrested. “They did not share any information with us. They beat up Manish mercilessly and we could hear him scream. The inspector then heckled me and threw me out of the police station,” Santo Devi said.

A purported video showing a woman resembling Santo Devi in a heated argument with the cops was circulated on WhatsApp through Sunday. Suniti said police had recovered around 30 mobile phones, three laptops, academic documents of four students and two stolen bikes from the duo. “During questioning, the two admitted to stealing bags and valuables from passengers at Old Delhi railway station,” the senior officer said.

The four students whose documents were stolen allegedly by the gang were also called to the police station. Vikas Chauhan, a resident of Baghpat, said he was returning home from Old Delhi station in November last year when three of the gang members befriended him. “They started a conversation and offered me a drink. I took one or two sips and lost consciousness after a while. The accused fled with my bag that had my documents, pan card, aadhaar card, voter ID, ATM cards, etc,” he said.

Police have also found the passport of one Shyam Sunder, a resident of Lakhimpur Khiri, and some documents of Sachin Malik, a resident of Delhi, and Shahnewaz Khan, who hails from Rampur. All four are believed to have told police that their belongings were stolen the same way.

Suniti said most of the stolen items had been recovered from Manish’s house. “His family members knew of his activities. The woman wanted her son to be released,” she said.

“We have registered a case under sections 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 414 (assisting in concealment of stolen property) of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act against the two. They were produced in court and sent to judicial custody,” she added.

Police said they were looking for two other gang members, who have been named as Udham and Gaurav Kumar.

SSP Ajay Pal Sharma said he had directed the circle officer of Jewar to probe the allegation levelled by the elderly woman that she had been heckled inside the police station.