Court summons ex-cop Pradeep Sharma in extortion case

In further trouble for the dismissed police officer, 'encounter specialist' Pradeep Sharma, a local court today issued a summons asking him to appear before the court in a 15 years old extortion case.
Sharma is already facing a murder case in connection with the fake encounter killing of Chhota Rajan gang member Lakkhan Bhaiya and is in jail.
Another encounter specialist Daya Nayak, who was reinstated in police force a few months ago, is also an accused in the extortion case.
According to complainant Tariq Ahmed, a scrap dealer from suburban Kalina, on March 19, 1997 when he was travelling in his car, he was stopped by Nayak, Sharma and five others.

The police officers allegedly told him that they had orders from the superiors to "bump him off" but he would be spared if he paid Rs five lakh. The amount was then negotiated down to Rs two lakh, which Ahmed handed over the next day.
However, 15 days later, Nayak allegedly called Ahmed and demanded more money. Ahmed then filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which directed the Police Commissioner to inquire into these allegations.

State CID had in 1999 filed a chargesheet which named only Nayak. But Ahmed moved the magistrate's court in 2008 seeking to add Sharma's name as an accused.

The magistrate's court rejected it but the sessions court reversed the ruling and added Sharma's name in December 2010 as co-accused in the case.
A hearing is likely on June 27.