NEW DELHI: Police arrested four individuals, including a constable, for extorting Rs. 1 lakh from a youth in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district. The accused have been sent to jail, and authorities are actively pursuing another constable involved in the crime.
The incident came to light after Rudal Yadav, a resident of Bharouli village, accused Constable Rishi Raj and another officer of forcibly taking him to Narhi police station.
Yadav recounted being assaulted in the barracks and threatened with a false cow slaughter case unless he transferred Rs. 1 lakh. Under duress, he complied, transferring the money to a public service operator’s account before being released.
In UP’s Ballia, a man identified as Rudal Yadav was herding cattle in a field when he was picked up by two policemen. He was taken to the police station and tortured in sending Rs 1 lakh to the cops as bribe for his release. pic.twitter.com/9rt5HHX8ag
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) November 28, 2024
Ballia SP Vikrant Veer promptly took cognizance of the complaint, suspending two policemen implicated in the crime and ordering an FIR against them. Yadav’s ordeal gained widespread attention after a video exposing the extortion, involving Constables Rishi Raj and Kaushal Paswan, went viral on social media.
ALSO READ: UP cadre ex-IPS Abhishek Singh draws flak after B Praak event in “wife’s Lakhimpur” – THE NEW INDIAN
Following an investigation led by ASP Kripa Shankar, four individuals, including Constable Rishi Raj, were apprehended. Efforts are ongoing to capture the absconding constable, Kaushal Paswan. A dedicated police team, including the Special Operations Group (SOG), is conducting raids at suspected hideouts, with authorities confident of Paswan’s imminent arrest.
#Ps_नरही अन्तर्गत 01 व्यक्ति को डरा धमका कर 02 पुलिसकर्मियों द्वारा पैसों की वसूली के सम्बन्ध में तत्काल प्रभाव से दोनों आरक्षियों को निलम्बित करते हुए व्यक्ति से प्राप्त तहरीर के आधार पर दोनों आरक्षियों के विरुद्ध अभियोग पंजीकृत कर अन्य विधिक कार्यवाही प्रचलित है। pic.twitter.com/rWPRKNvzvp
— Ballia Police (@balliapolice) November 27, 2024
The incident follows a broader crackdown on corruption in Ballia. Last month, a raid led by senior officials exposed an extortion scheme involving the illegal collection of large sums from trucks entering the district from Bihar. The operation resulted in a case against 20 individuals, including Inspector Panne Lal and several policemen, all of whom are now in jail.
The swift action in both cases underscores the Ballia police’s commitment to rooting out corruption and upholding justice.