FIR against Inspector who ‘harassed’ man for 7 years

After seven years of alleged harassment at the hands of a Delhi Police officer and his associates, Anil Kumar Jaiswal — a fruit stall owner at east Delhi’s Geeta Colony — finally has a ray of hope.

The Crime Branch of the Delhi police lodged an FIR on his behalf against his alleged chief tormentor, Sub Inspector Shashikant Gaur, on May 1.

Jaiswal’s ordeal began in December 2003 when, he said, he was abruptly picked up and taken to the Special Staff office at Maurice Nagar.

It was here that he came face to face with Gaur.

“A group of head constables led by SI Gaur physically assaulted me and dumped me in a lock-up which already had two others in it,” recalled Jaiswal.

When he asked why he had been brought to the police station, he was allegedly slapped with a demand for Rs 50,000, failing to meet hich, he was reportedly told, he would be incarcerated on charges of being a carjacker and drug peddler.

“Somehow, I managed to arrange around Rs 20,000 and gave the amount to Gaur. But I was still jailed for a month and a half.”

Soon after being released from prison – SI Gaur paid him another visit. This time, he demanded ‘personal favours’.

“Asking me to pose as his cousin, he planted me as an informant at property dealer Sachin Malhotra’s shop near my Geeta Colony residence. He asked me to inform him whenever Malhotra received any huge sum in cash so that he could have it robbed by criminals from his hometown of Moradabad in UP,” Jaiswal said.

During the next two to three years, Gaur allegedly purchased two plots of land registered in his wife’s name in east Delhi for a sum of Rs 30.5 lakh. Gaur also used his contacts within the Delhi Police force to put pressure on Jaiswal.

“He kept demanding money and I kept selling my wife’s ornaments in order to satisfy his demands for seven years,” said Jaiswal.

“Whenever I approached the police at any level, I was either beaten up by Gaur’s associates or jailed,” Jaiswal said.

Even as Gaur was promoted to the level of Inspector, Jaiswal was declared a history sheeter by officers from the local police who were allegedly in connivance with Gaur.

“As I saw no alternative, I finally approached a television network which helped me organize a sting operation during which Gaur confessed to having harassed me for close to a decade.”

“I don’t want my money back. I just want justice,” Jaiswal said. Inspector Gaur could not be reached for comment.

“We have registered a case under Prevention of Corruption act 1988 and are investigating the matter,” said Neeraj Thakur, additional CP (crime).