HC directs DGP to enquire into allegations of extortion by Mandi police
This is the second such case where Mandi police have been accused of extorting money in the name of implicating in a drug case
Disposing of a petition alleging extortion by Mandi police in drugs case, Himachal Pradesh high court (HC) has directed the director general of police (DGP) to inquire into the allegations almost 8 months after death of a youth apprehended with heroin in Mandi.
As the police officials of district Mandi face allegations of extortion, the division bench of acting chief justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and justice Satyen Vaidya, on December 23, had ruled that the inquiry “to be conducted by an officer not below the rank of superintendent of police and under supervision of an officer not below the rank of inspector general of police. Needless to say, the investigating officer shall not be from the district police force Mandi.”
This is the second such case where Mandi police have been accused of extorting money in the name of implicating in a drug case.
Balbir Singh Pathania, father of deceased Rishi Raj, whose dead body was found floating in ‘Suketi Khad’ (rivulet) in Mandi, in the afternoon of April 5, 2024, had moved high court with a plea to transfer the investigations to CBI.
“The conduct displayed by the Police prima facie can also not be said to be un-biased. There are allegations against the police official(s),” ruled the division bench while directing director general of police Himachal Pradesh to get further investigations in FIR dated April 3, 2024, registered under Section 224 at PS Sadar Mandi and FIR under sections 385, 120-B IPC at PS Balh, District Mandi.
High court also directed the Principal Secretary Home to conduct an enquiry into the conduct of all concerned Police Officials particularly with respect to the delay in filing of FIR on allegations of extortion by police and report the compliance to this Court on March 10, 2025.
Police accused of demanding ₹2.50 lakh
Balbir Singh Pathania, in his petition, said that on April 2, his son Rishi Raj had accompanied Rahul on ‘scooty’ on the pretext of having some celebration. Rishi did not return home but at about 9.30 pm, a man visited their house and informed Balbir that Rishi Raj was in police custody since about 7 pm after being caught with drugs. He shared a number with Balbir “to settle the deal” and when Balbir called on the number the receiver of the call confirmed that Rishi Raj was in police custody. The receiver of the call had further demanded a sum of ₹2.50 lakh for hushing up the matter.
As per the police, both Rahul and Rishi Raj were apprehended by the police patrol party near Pulgharat with a ‘scooty’ on April 3 and 12.66 grams heroin/Chitta was recovered from the vehicle. As per the police both the accused i.e. Rishi Raj and Rahul pushed the police officials aside and ran away and allegedly jumped into ‘Suketi Khad’. Rahul was allegedly apprehended with injuries but Rishi Raj disappeared and finally, his dead body was recovered from the water of ‘Suketi Khad’ on April 5, 2024.
High court in its order observed, “ Thus, there was prima facie material to suspect the involvement of some other persons or officials of respondents (Mandi police), otherwise it could not have been a mere coincidence that ransom calls were received by petitioner almost at the same time when his son was allegedly apprehended by police with the contraband.”
“The Police of the same district contemporaneously faced similar allegations at the hands of father whose son was allegedly found transporting a commercial quantity of heroin/Chitta... case under NDPS Act was registered at PS Balh. This court has already passed directions to CBI to carry investigations,” read the order.
“We feel that the timings of extortion calls made to persons on the pretext of getting their sons absolved from the cases under NDPS Act immediately preceding the eventual apprehension of their sons in more than one case, could not be a mere coincidence,” pointed out high court.
“It is also beyond comprehension why the petitioner or any other member of the family of Rishi Raj were not informed about the registration of cases,” ruled high court.
‘Victim jumps off 150 feet but had two grazed abrasions’
Even as the police claimed accused had jumped into dry river bed from a vertical height of about 150 feet. But no site plan or photographs of the spot have been placed on record. “There were only two grazed abrasions on the forehead and nose of the deceased. It is near impossible that after jumping from a cliff having height of 150 feet that too into the river bed a person will have no injury on his feet, legs, hands or other parts of the body,” pointed out the high court.
