Patna, Oct. 11: A deputy superintendent of police is facing dismissal from service for allegedly keeping some ornaments stolen from the residence of a relative of late Bollywood actor Amjad Khan in Mumbai.
Inspector-general of police (IG) (Darbhanga zone) R.K. Mishra has recommended dismissal of Samiran Choudhary, posted as the sub-divisional police officer of Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district when the ornaments were recovered on July 6, 2011.
Home department officials were reluctant to comment on Mishra’s recommendation. “The quantum of punishment will be decided by the government,” a senior home department officer said.
Choudhary had allegedly taken away Rs 65 lakh worth of diamond jewellery of the items valued at Rs 1 crore stolen from the house of Murtuza Ali Macchua, Amjad Khan’s samdhi (the father-in-law of Khan’s daughter) at Khar in Mumbai. The robbery took place on June 16, 2011.
The state government had assigned the zonal IG to conduct departmental proceedings against the former Jhanjharpur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) after he was suspended in August last year. Mishra found the allegations against Choudhary to be true and made the recommendation. “I have already sent the report to the government through proper channel. I am not supposed to make any official comment on the matter. For any information, please contact the senior officials of the state government,” Mishra told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday.
The SDPO recovered the booty from the possession of Raju Sah, the prime accused, at Maibi village (Baliatol) under Lakhnaur police station in Madhubani district on July 6, 2011. Choudhary shared the spoils with then station house officer (SHO) of Lakhnaur V.K. Sinha and a probationary sub-inspector of police, Sajiv Kumar Suman, who were also charged.
On July 7, 2011, Raju was taken to Mumbai on transit remand. During interrogation, Raju confessed to the police that he had handed over the stolen jewellery to two police officers of Lakhnaur police station and Farooque, who also worked as a domestic help at Macchua’s residence.
The police officers, including SDPO Choudhary, however, showed only a part of the recovered booty. Subsequently, then director-general of police Neel Mani ordered a detailed inquiry. Madhubani superintendent of police Saurabh Kumar was asked to probe into the role of the police officials involved.
Sources said the proceedings against then Lakhnaur SHO Sinha are yet to the concluded. Sinha was put under suspension, while a probationary sub-inspector Sanjeev Kumar Suman was dismissed from service by then DIG of Darbhanga range Nayyar Hasnain Khan.
“Madhubani superintendent of police Saurabh Kumar is conducting proceedings against former Lakhnaur SHO, results of which is awaited,” said a senior official of the state police headquarters. He, however, refused to divulge any information in connection with the case (FIR no. 50/12) lodged with Lakhnaur police station).
