Tweet 'exposes' Noida cops' bribe network

  • | Saturday | 19th May, 2018

“The investigation will be headed by SP (city) Arun Kumar Singh,” he said.The crime branch consists of four departments — cyber cell, surveillance cell, SWAT and investigation cell. The sources also said there were deep divisions in the SWAT team on how to deal with the Sunder Bhati and Anil Dujana gangs. The officer told TOI the SWAT team had a different reporting head.The list also alludes to police encounters. “@Uppolice @pro_ssp @adgzonemeerut @dgpup This is going in your SOG Noida… below are the attached proofs…,” the tweet said. “The SWAT, surveillance cell and cyber cell do not report to me.

NOIDA: A tweet, supposedly posted by a disgruntled policeman denied his share of 'monthly collections', led to an entire wing of the Noida crime branch being dissolved on Friday and deeply embarrassed UP Police by exposing what seemed to be a well-oiled system of taking bribes.The tweet, which comprised screenshots of WhatsApp messages believed to be from a cop, indicated that the network of beneficiaries of the 'monthly collections' extended into some senior ranks as well with an 'inspector sir' and an 'spra madam' mentioned specifically. It also made public a list of local traders who are allegedly paying bribes regularly to cops.The crime branch wing believed to be behind these collections comprises 16 special weapons and tactics (SWAT) personnel. The head of the wing, Sanjeev Kumar, two constables and 13 other members of the SWAT unit were relieved of their charge and sent to police lines.Noida police chief Ajay Pal Sharma said he had ordered an inquiry into a an alleged bribery network in a police unit. “The investigation will be headed by SP (city) Arun Kumar Singh,” he said.The crime branch consists of four departments — cyber cell, surveillance cell, SWAT and investigation cell. SWAT is mainly involved in conducting raids and encounters based on inputs from the cyber and surveillance cells.Sources said SWAT personnel were involved in collecting money ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 from different fuel stations, cement manufacturers, hotel owners, developers, etc, some of whom were mentioned in the message that was tweeted on Friday. However, members of the team were allegedly unhappy as the money had not been distributed in the past three months. The sources also said there were deep divisions in the SWAT team on how to deal with the Sunder Bhati and Anil Dujana gangs. Last Thursday, two constables of the team allegedly had several heated arguments. One of them is believed to have leaked the information, which was tweeted from a handle—@Nitin18396487—through four screenshots.The handle, which followed 28 accounts and was followed by two when the tweet was posted late on Thursday, probably belongs to an acquaintance of the disgruntled policeman, police sources said. The handle, created in May 2018, has no bio. This was the first tweet it had posted. The user tagged UP Police, the UP DGP and SSP Pro Noida. “@Uppolice @pro_ssp @adgzonemeerut @dgpup This is going in your SOG Noida… below are the attached proofs…,” the tweet said. The tweet was deleted around 7pm on Friday.The collection list mentions cash distribution to an inspector (Rs 90,000) and expenses on Holi (Rs 50,000), bhandara (20,000) and tyre (Rs 10,000). The list adds that Rs 40,000 was spent on buying a 9mm pistol and Rs 1 lakh on three persons’ airfare and stay in Bihar for an operation. An IPS officer, who the list purportedly alludes to, rubbished the allegations. The officer told TOI the SWAT team had a different reporting head.The list also alludes to police encounters. “50,000—jisne sharvan vala kaam keraya hei d 50,000 aur dena hei abhi”, the message posted as a Twitter screenshot says. Sources said this could be a reference to the May 31 encounter in Noida in which a 30-year-old criminal, Shravan Chaudhary, was killed near Parthala Chowki. The police claimed to have found an AK-47 in his possession. The payment the list supposedly refers to is for the informer who had shared details about Shravan.The SWAT team was already under the scanner for alleged extortion from liquor smugglers in Noida. Some audio tapes are also doing the rounds of social media in which a ‘reporter’ is heard assuring a smuggler about “fixing the issue” with crime branch officials.Preeti Bala Gupta, SP (crime) Noida police, said only the crime branch’s investigation wing reports to her. “The SWAT, surveillance cell and cyber cell do not report to me. I do not have any information about the case and irregularities,” she said.The head of the wing, Sanjeev Kumar, 2 constables and 13 other members of the SWAT unit have been relieved of their charge and sent to police lines

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