A sub-inspector and a constable have been arrested after allegedly demanding Rs 2.5 lakh from a suspected drug peddler at Delhi’s Khajuri Khas police station, in a case that has also led to their suspension.
According to police sources cited by the Times of India, the suspected peddler was arrested by the two officers last week and allegedly kept at the police station for more than 24 hours. The officers are accused of threatening to book him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and send him to jail unless money was paid.
The two officers allegedly agreed to accept Rs 2.5 lakh following discussions with the suspect. The man was reportedly taken to an ATM and made to withdraw Rs 1 lakh. His family was then contacted to arrange payment of the remaining amount, according to the report.
The suspect’s relatives subsequently registered a complaint at Timarpur police station. Police then laid a trap by asking the accused officers to come to Timarpur to collect the balance, the report said. When the two arrived, the constable was apprehended, while the sub-inspector initially escaped.
Both police personnel were later suspended. A case has been registered against them under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Khajuri Khas police station. The report did not identify the specific sections invoked.
The allegations centre on the use of police custody and the threat of prosecution to demand money from a person suspected of drug peddling. The reported sequence also involved the movement of the detainee’s family into the payment process, followed by a complaint that enabled investigators to arrange the trap.
The case places the conduct of personnel at a local police station under scrutiny while the investigation proceeds. The available report does not state whether the arrested officers have made a formal response to the allegations or whether the suspected drug peddler faces separate proceedings. Further investigation is under way.
