On Sunday, the absconding police chief of Narhi Police Station, suspended for extortion in Ballia, was arrested in Gorakhpur. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Azamgarh Zone) Vaibhav Krishna provided this information. He stated that Panne Lal was wanted in a case of alleged extortion from truck drivers at the UP-Bihar border in Narhi area. With Panne Lal's arrest, 19 people have been apprehended in this case so far, while four are still at large.
On July 25, Krishna informed journalists that the police had unearthed an illegal extortion racket at the UP-Bihar border in the Narhi area, run by policemen. Two policemen and 16 intermediaries were arrested. He mentioned that all the policemen posted at Korantadih Police Station and the SHO of Narhi Police Station have been suspended due to the incident.
The Ballia Police Superintendent was Suspended after the Extortion Scandal
Following the extortion scandal, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered the transfer of Ballia Police Superintendent Dev Ranjan Verma and Additional Police Superintendent Durga Prasad Tiwari, along with the suspension of Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police Shubh Suchit. Additionally, an enquiry into the properties of the three officers was also ordered. Officials stated that a raid was conducted in the area on July 25 and 18 people, including two policemen, were arrested.
Daily Extortion Amounted to INR 500,000
In a joint operation, DIG Azamgarh Vaibhav Krishna and ADG Varanasi Zone Piyush exposed the entire matter. Following the operation, DIG Vaibhav Krishna and ADG Piyush revealed that policemen from Narhi Police Station collected around INR 500,000 daily at the UP-Bihar border. Since approximately 1,000 trucks crossed the border daily, INR 500 was extorted from each truck.
Read More: Ballia Extortion Scandal: SHO Panne Lal Had High Connections, Only Preferred Lucrative Postings, Now Absconding
Panne Lal's Room Was Sealed
After the revelation of the extortion case, Panne Lal's room was sealed. Sources claimed that a red diary was recovered from his room, which might reveal significant details about the extortion racket. Now that he is arrested, it's believed all secrets of the extortion scandal may surface, and many big names could be exposed.
Panne Lal Was Posted in Narhi for Two Years
DIG Azamgarh Vaibhav Krishna and ADG Varanasi Zone Piyush stated that Panne Lal had been posted at Narhi Police Station for the past two years. Several other policemen have also been serving at the same station for many years. The case was cracked by DIG Vaibhav Krishna and ADG Piyush, who disguised themselves as truck assistants.
Police Department Went into Action After the Extortion Scandal
Following the extortion scandal, the police department went into action, prompting continuous action against corruption in several districts. So far, actions have been taken against policemen in Sitapur, Mirzapur, and other districts, who had been stationed at the same location for years and were involved in corruption cases.
