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Gurugram (Paridhi Dhasmana), 11 April – In a dramatic turn of events, a small shopkeeper in Gurugram has captured evidence of repeated extortion by police officers, leading to the suspension and arrest of four officers, now lodged at Bhondsi Jail. The incident, which unfolded in the Sector 17-18 area near the Q Building, underscores long-standing allegations of police corruption and abuse of power.
Gulab Singh Sahu, a shopkeeper originally from Bathia village in Darbhanga, Bihar, runs a modest tea, paratha, and cigarette shop out of a temporary shack in Sector 18. According to Sahu, the problem began when officers from the local police started repeatedly extorting him. Initially, the head constable, Rajbeer, would visit his shop and threaten to shut it down, often removing his belongings in the process. Under mounting pressure, Sahu was forced to pay an extortion fee of ₹5,000 each week.
The situation worsened when additional officers began making regular visits. An ERV-posted constable, Ajay Kumar, and an SPO, Anil, also started demanding bribes on a weekly basis—sometimes asking for as little as ₹500 and other times as much as ₹1,000. Sahu further claimed that an ASI, Bijendra Kumar, who has been operating in the Sector 17-18 area for the past four to five years, imposed a monthly demand of ₹10,000 on him. The shopkeeper alleged that there were instances when these officers even deposited the collected money into their accounts.
Frustrated by the repeated harassment and emboldened by the evidence, Sahu took matters into his own hands. He installed a camera within his shop premises and recorded the extortion attempts as the officers collected their bribes. Armed with this video evidence, Sahu approached the police commissioner. Prompt action was taken; the commissioner ordered the immediate suspension of the four implicated officers.
Following the directive from the police authority, the four officers—ASI Bijendra Kumar, Head Constable Rajbeer, ERV-posted Constable Ajay Kumar, and SPO Anil—were detained. After an interrogation session at the police station in Sector 18 on Thursday, all four were arrested and sent to Bhondsi Jail. A formal case has been registered against them at the Sector 18 police station, with the investigation assigned to ACP Udyog Vihar.
This development has resonated deeply within the community, where long-standing grievances regarding police misconduct have been voiced repeatedly. Sahu’s courageous act of documenting the extortion has not only provided him some relief but has also shown other victims a pathway to expose corrupt practices. The police department has pledged to pursue a thorough investigation and restore public trust in law enforcement.
While the investigation continues, this case serves as a potent reminder of the necessity for accountability and transparency within the system. Community members are now encouraged to come forward with any further evidence or similar experiences to help dismantle corrupt networks and ensure justice is served.
— End of Report
