Loni’s ex-CO accuses SHO of graft, blames him for transfer

Ghaziabad: A former circle officer (CO) of Loni area has accused the station house officer (SHO) of Loni Kotwali of corruption and alleged that he had molested several women who came to seek help at the police station.
Raj Kumar Pandey, who was posted as Loni CO in 2015, was transferred to Mahoba in August this year, a move he claimed was put in motion by SHO Bijendra Bhadana because he had complained against him.
Releasing three audio clips and a video on WhatsApp groups that have several members of the media, administration and Ghaziabad police, Pandey on Wednesday morning accused the SHO of taking bribes, claimed a threat to his life and sought help from UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and senior police officers.
Pandey said when he was posted as CO Loni, he had received several complaints from women in the area that Bhadana had tried to molest them when they stepped in at the police station. In the video clip released by him, a woman claims that when she went to the Loni SHO to file a complaint after being defrauded of Rs 2 lakhs, he started harassing her. “He took me inside a room at the police station where he asked to compromise. I fled after pushing him on the bed,” she alleges in the video.
Pandey further claimed that Bhadana also took bribes from the local goons for illegal work. “I gave him several warnings and asked him to do his job properly, but he didn’t pay any heed. I complained to a senior officer but he supported the SHO instead,” Pandey alleged, adding that he was then shunted out at the instance of Bhadana.
SHO Bhadana denied all charges, terming them false. “When Pandey was posted as CO, he never raised any complaints or allegations. He has levelled allegations only because he has been transferred,” he said.
Pandey also alleged that the SHO threatened him with a fake case. He said that three days ago, he was in Ghaziabad to meet his family, and when he went to Loni police station to meet his former colleagues, the SHO warned him not to drop in again.
“Bhadana threatened me that if I visit the police station again, he would register a fake case against me. I made a call to a senior officer after that. He picked up but disconnected immediately. After that, I tried to talk to him again but he didn’t respond,” Pandey alleged.
Bhadana refuted this, saying he was not present at the police station when Pandey came to visit.
Alok Dubey, circle officer (CO) crime, Ghaziabad, said she will carry out an investigation. So far, Pandey hasn’t filed a written complaint with police, she added. “Initial investigation has revealed that Pandey was transferred as per rules after he completed three years in the district,” Dubey said.
She added that she had spoken to Pandey over the phone. “He told me he is unwell and will come on Thursday to make a complaint,” she said.
Pandey is expected to hold a press conference on Thursday morning.