Three Delhi Police constables suspended for extortion

Three Delhi Police constables were suspended for allegedly extorting money from two men after threatening to implicate them in a narcotics case, officials said on Thursday.

The suspended policemen are Head Constable Makhan Lal, Constable Ramavtar and Constable Harish. While Lal and Ramavtar were posted at the Mohan Garden police station, Harish was posted at Delhi Police's anti-narcotic cell of west district, they said.

On November 25, two men were coming from Mohali in Punjab and had parked their car at Najafgarh road. Harish, who was in plain clothes, told them that he was from the Crime Branch and enquired about their whereabouts, the police said.

He also searched their car for drugs, they said.

According to the complaint lodged by the two men, even after Harish did not find anything suspicious, he extorted around Rs 9,500 from them and informed the local police station before leaving the spot.

Later, two policemen from the Mohan Garden police station arrived at the spot. They took the two men to another place in their vehicle and harassed them, it stated.

The policemen also took away the car keys of the complainants and searched the vehicle. They offered to settle the matter for Rs 20,000, according to the complaint.

The victims did not pay the amount and informed a senior Delhi Police officer about the incident, the police said.

A case was registered and the three policemen involved in the case were suspended with immediate effect, a senior police officer said.

A departmental enquiry has also been initiated against them, he said.