Suspended DCP Saurabh Tripathi involved in an extortion case of Angadiyas or traditional couriers, interfered during the preliminary inquiry with the ongoing probe, the police has said in its response filed before a sessions court opposing anticipatory bail to him.
The police also stated in its reply that he contacted relevant witnesses on his own and recorded the conversations, to save himself. Their probe through interrogation of arrested policeman Om Vangate had revealed, it said, that Tripathi had received a huge amount from the money collected in the crime through hawala. The money was sent by Tripathi to his domestic help in Lucknow. The officer’s custodial interrogation is required, it said, to trace and recover the money. The police also said that there is apprehension that he may threaten witnesses, being a senior police officer.
In his anticipatory bail application filed before a sessions court last week, Tripathi said that the complinanants run Hawala business in the garb of parcels and couriers and he has been falsely implicated as he did not succumb to their pressure tactics.
His plea stated that since he had given directions through a circular to take action against all hawala dealers and the complaint was filed against him to prevent him from discharging his duties. On Nov 15 last year, he pointed out, he had issued a circular directing all police officers to take action against Hawala transactions. Due to this circular and the general surveillance and alert, the association filed a false complaint of harassment on him and other police officers as they experienced discomfort in their illegal activities, he stated.
Taking coercive action against him would jeopardize his reputation and career, he has stated. Such an action, he said, will only help the hawala traders and send a loud and clear message that if anyone does not cooperate such traps will be set to ruin the career and life of the concerned officer.
The police have said in their response filed on Wednesday that their probe based on interrogation of arrested policeman Om Vangate had revealed that the search of bags of members of the Angadiya association took place on oral and illegal orders of Tripathi.
While the police opposed relief to him stating in its reply that Tripathi had not joined his new posting by stating that he is unwell, Tripathi claimed he suffered covid-like symptoms and other ailments and has reported sick due to the same. He claimed he is not absconding and that newspaper reports are causing anxiety and apprehension to him that he will be falsely implicated in the crime.
