Gharota PS Graft Case

SHO, SPO questioned; FIR lodged as complainant hit

JAMMU: A day after Police Station Gharota hit media limelight for graft charges, the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) today called the SHO concerned namely Gurmeet Singh for questioning, even as complainant made a fresh allegation that he was attacked by unidentified persons, filing another complaint at the Police Station.

As the investigations in graft case where a Gujjar was falsely labeled as a bovine smuggler and later asked for money in lieu of releasing his vehicle, were on, the SVO on Thursday grilled the Special Police Officer (SPO), who happens to be the Karyakhas of the SHO, in the lockup at Police Station Pacca Danga and SHO at Vigilance Office in this regard.

Sources within SVO said that the accused SPO namely Amit Sharma has been taken on three days police remand for questioning. They also said that court has also sought the report of the case for further legal process.

“SHO concerned was questioned to ascertain whether he had any information regarding the wrong deeds of SPO,” sources said, adding, “SVO has also launched a hunt to nab the other accused cop namely Head Constable Sohan Lal.”

Pertinently, corruption in Gharota Police came to fore when one Farooq Ahmed of village Batada, carrying his buffalo and its calf in his vehicle was apprehended by some cow vigilantes and later was handed over to local police.

To set him free, the cops posted in Police Station demanded money from him failing which he was booked u/s 188 RPC.

The Gujjar youth however secured bail from court which also directed Police to release the vehicle and bovine animals in his favour.

To the surprise of victim –when he came back to claim his vehicle and cattle, the two cops asked him to pay Rs 12,000 as bribe to release his property.

Irked over this, he approached to Vigilance Organization, Jammu. The SVO after registering a formal case laid a trap and arrested Amit Sharma, Personal Security Officer (PSO) of SHO Gharota Gurmeet Singh, red-handed while accepting bribe even as the other cop namely Head Constable Sohal Lal of Purkhoo managed to give a slip to SVO sleuths.

In the latest development, the complainant namely Farooq Ahmed has lodged another complaint with the police alleging therein that he was hit by some unknown vehicle in a bid to eliminate him. Suspecting the attack by cops posted in Police Station Gharota, the complainant stated in his fresh complaint that his motorcycle was hit when he was on way to his home.

Farooq was taken to the Government Hospital at Bhalwal from where he was referred to the Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu for necessary treatment.

“Yes, a case in this connection has been lodged at Gharota Police Station and investigation of the case is in progress”, said SSP Jammu Vivek Gupta when contacted by The News Now.