History-sheeter ‘let off’, cop removed for acting against him

Station Officer 'abused' by Samajwadi Party leader

A history-sheeter was let off from a police station in Varanasi and the station officer removed for initiating action against him after the "intervention" of local Samajwadi Party leaders on Tuesday.

Reports said that the police received two complaints of extortion from railway load carriers against Dinesh Prajapati, who is a history-sheeter, with 10 cases pending against him, including three of murder charges, three of attempt to murder, and also cases under the Arms Act, and the Gangster Act.

Prajapati was picked up by the police and brought to the Shivpur police station. But before the police could begin any proceedings, Samajwadi Party's city president O P Singh called up Station Officer Fareed Ahmad and asked him to release Prajapati, whose wife is a Samajwadi Party corporator.

Ahmad said: "I explained to him that Prajapati is a history-sheeter who was released from jail hardly 15 days ago and again fresh complaints had been received against him. But Singh got furious and started abusing me and threatened me." Ahmad said he has recorded the incident in the police station's general diary.

A few minutes later, several SP workers and Varanasi city Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh reached the police station. Prajapati was immediately released and the SP even offered him tea, it is learnt. Later, Singh made a complaint against the SO who was sent to Police Lines as punishment.

Singh defended his action and said: "Prajapati was a criminal, it is a thing of the past. Now he is a corporator. He was illegally detained by the SO. It is true that I called up the SO and requested him to release Prajapati who is fighting for justice for the labourers, who are being exploited by some people, but the SO did not relent."

... contd.

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