Gurugram: Ex-inspector suspended for taking bribe to help suspects evade arrest

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The director-general of police (DGP) suspended inspector Bijender Hooda, former in-charge of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Gurugram Sector 10, earlier this week for allegedly taking bribe in a murder case to help suspects evade police arrest. A head-constable has also been suspended for his alleged role in the case, said police.

On October 8, Pankhil Kumar (21) alias Lucky, a law student in the SGT university, allegedly shot Vineet Kumar (24), a fourth-year student of BAMS (bachelor of ayurvedic medicine and surgery) in the same university. According to police, Lucky and his brother Nitesh came to Kumar’s class on the fateful day and asked for him, but the teacher refused to excuse him. Sensing danger, Kumar asked his classmates to accompany him but the Pankhil waylaid him near the parking lot and shot him dead.

Police said a murder case was registered at the Rajendra Park police station against Pankhil who was arrested from Chhawla village near Najafgarh in Delhi on October 14. His brother Nitesh and two more of his accomplices, identified as Rahul and Himani (all known by their first names), were also booked and later arrested.

After the murder, Pankhil had taken shelter at his relatives’ houses and changed locations to evade arrest. Police said his father Dhananjay Bhardwaj, who is also involved in the case and is on the run, was earlier declared a ‘bad character’ in Bahadurgarh and has a criminal record.

Police said Pankhil allegedly shot Kumar over a dispute regarding the latter’s friendship with a woman in their college. The case was transferred to the CIA, led by Hooda that time. Later, the investigation was transferred to the Special Task Force (STF) and a report was submitted to the DGP, where the STF officials said the suspects alleged Hooda took bribe from them, ranging anything between 3 lakh to 10 lakh, to help them evade arrest.

Commissioner of police K K Rao said an inquiry is underway and the assistant commissioner of police (crime) will investigate the allegations and submit a report to the DGP.

“Hooda and a head constable were suspended earlier this week. There were allegations that the officer took 4-5 lakh from the family of the accused in a murder case. It is possible that the suspects are making these allegations to benefit in the case.We have initiated a probe.. We have not found any evidence against Hooda so far but still we are investigating the allegations. The main suspects were arrested and the investigation has been fair so far. We received the suspension orders after the STF submitted its report,” said Rao.

Satheesh Balan, deputy inspector general of STF, said they received complaints from suspects who alleged Hooda had taken bribe from them for not arresting them. “There were complaints from different suspects and all of them alleged that someone has given Hooda 3 lakh, some 5 lakh and some 10 lakh. He did not receive the money directly but from someone else. We submitted a report after investigation,” he said.

Balan said some of the suspects, who sheltered Pankhil after the murder,were arrested by STF.

“It emerged during investigation that Hooda had allegedly taken lakhs of rupees from different people, who had given shelter to the shooter after the murder. We have submitted all evidence in a preliminary report to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of STF and, accordingly, action has been taken,” said Balan.

HT has gained access to the enquiry report submitted by the IGP of STF to the DGP on January 21. The report says, “Nobody has openly given any statement regarding illegal demand of gratification by Hooda but there were confidential source information, that Hooda took 6 lakh from one of the hotels , nearby SGT University, in which the accused Pankil and… his girlfriend used to stay occasionally. The other accused, Dhananjay, the father of Pankil, alleged to have given 10 lakh to one middleman who is the source of Hooda. At least one person admitted in front of the IG STF that he gave 8 lakh to another person for removing his name from the case, who was later arrested by STF. It is learnt that money was returned when Hooda came to know that the information of bribe was being enquired by Balan. In view of this, prima facie, the allegation seems to be true.”

However, a senior police officer privy to the matter said it was strange that Pankhil’s father, who is evading arrest, has recorded his statement before STF and made allegations of bribe. “How is it possible that he could not be arrested but recorded his statement before the STF,” he said.

The senior officer further said that the STF did not even record Hooda’s statement and did not give him chance to present his side of the story.

Meanwhile, Hooda refuted the allegations and said the charges levelled against him are baseless. “The investigation was with me for hardly five days and I had arrested the main suspects. I am not aware how and who has levelled allegations against me as I did my job. There is a possibility that the other suspects in the case have cooked up a story to take revenge for arresting the main suspect,” said Hooda adding he has conducted fair investigation.


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