The ongoing interrogation of Sub-Inspector Nagender Tomar has opened a Pandora’s box with new and startling versions of extortion and intimidation coming to fore.
The 28-year-old SI has revealed that around four months ago, he along with the absconding head constable, Amit Tomar, had kidnapped a taxi driver from outside New Delhi Railway Station and demanded hush money of Rs 1.5 lakh from his family members. The victim’s family members approached local police for his release and a case of abduction had been registered.
Nagender’s interrogation revealed how he and Amit were running a systemic extortion racket in connivance with a senior police officer posted in South-East district and how the senior officer guarded them both from internal scrutiny. Meanwhile, the senior police officer who allegedly sheltered Amit is being transferred to a recruitment cell of Delhi Police, sources informed.
Police sources said that the accused SI told investigators that they detained an alleged drug peddler and threatened a taxi driver at a near Ajmeri Gate. They bundled the peddler into his taxi and fled the scene. Investigators said they took both persons to Nehru Place police picket; first they booked the drug peddler in a narcotics case. They did not release the taxi driver and instead threatened to implicate him on trumped up charges.
“They called up the family of the taxi driver and demanded Rs 1.5 lakh for his release. The family approached Kamla Market Police Station and police personnel soon started investigation. After scanning CCTV footage, they found two persons had been kidnapped from outside New Delhi Railway station,” a police source added. After scanning the footage, they made the initial report of the case (tehrir) but the victim’s family received a call from head constable Amit Tomar and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kamla Market Police Station had a confab.
Investigation revealed that the absconding head constable first tried to influence the concerned SHO saying he had detained the taxi driver regarding investigation into a drug peddling case. When the SHO questioned him about the extortion bid, the taxi driver was released without a murmur. After sustained interrogation of the accused SI Nagender Tomar, he told police that he was only a middleman in the extortion racket and that it was run by Amit Tomar, who was the kingpin.