Extortion at UP-Bihar border: Absconding SHO held in Gorakhpur, 4 accused still at large

Ballia (UP), Jul 28 (PTI) A station house officer who went absconding after he was suspended in connection with an extortion case here was arrested from Gorakhpur on Sunday, a senior police officer said.

Panna Lal, who was posted as SHO of Narhi Police Station in Ballia, was wanted in a case pertaining to alleged extortion from truck drivers in the Narhi area on the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border, he added.

With Lal's arrest, 19 persons have been arrested in the case so far, while four are still absconding, according to police.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Azamgarh zone) Vaibhav Krishna told PTI, "An SOG team from Ballia arrested Panna Lal, the suspended SHO of Narhi Police Station on Sunday from Gorakhpur." On July 25, Krishna had told reporters that the police have busted an illegal extortion racket being run by police personnel on the UP-Bihar border in this district's Narhi area, with the arrest of two cops and 16 brokers.

All the personnel posted in the Korantadih police outpost here and the SHO of Narhi Police Station were suspended in the case, he said.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Vikrant Veer told reporters on Sunday that efforts are being made to arrest the remaining accused in this case, who are at large.

According to police, based on a complaint lodged by Inspector Sushil Kumar, a case was registered on July 25 against 23 persons including Lal, Korantadih police post In-charge Rajesh Kumar Prabhakar, Head Constable Vishnu Yadav and Constables Balram Singh, Deepak Mishra, Hari Dayal and Satish Gupta under provisions of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita), BNSS (Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita) and Prevention of Corruption Act.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took strict action with a "zero tolerance policy" after the revelation of illegal collection of money from vehicles by police personnel on the UP-Bihar border, according to a statement issued on July 25.

The Uttar Pradesh government had then issued an order to transfer the Ballia Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma and Additional SP Durga Prasad Tiwari, alongwith the suspension of Sadar Deputy SP Shubh Soochit.

A vigilance inquiry of the properties of the three officers was also ordered.

A raid was conducted in the area on July 25 and 18 people, including two police personnel, were arrested, officials has said.

A suspension order was issued for two personnel, including Lal, they had said.

Lal, who went absconding after the suspension order, was finally nabbed from Gorakhpur on Sunday, according to officials.

Krishna had earlier told reporters that several complaints of extortion by police personnel along the border were received by Additional Director General of Police (Varanasi zone) Piyush Mordia.

DIG Krishna said that during the raid, two policemen involved in extortion were apprehended while three others managed to escape, and added that 16 middlemen were also taken into custody.

Krishna said the extortion gang used to collect Rs 500 from each vehicle.

It is estimated that about 1,000 vehicles cross the border each night, he had said, highlighting the extent of the illegal operation. PTI COR NAV RPA