Haryana STF chief sent to police custody in extortion, dacoity case

A local court today sent Ashok Sheoran, head of the special task force of the Haryana police, arrested in connection with an alleged extortion and dacoity racket, to police custody till March 21.

Chief judicial magistrate Gagandeep Kaur sent Sheoran, an
additional superintendent of police, to five-day police custody.

Sheoran was arrested here by the Haryana police yesterday on the basis of a statement of the accused and the details available from his mobile phone.

The seven accused — all police personnel — were already in police custody.

The seven, including two assistant sub-inspectors, were arrested following a complaint by a stock broker that they had robbed him of Rs6 lakh after tying him in his office.

A jeweller in Panipat also complained to police that the seven STF personnel tried to extort Rs10 lakh from him posing as vigilance team members from Chandigarh. However, their act was caught on the CCTV camera at the jeweller's shop.

Sheoran had initially denied his involvement in the crime.

The STF has been directed to remain "non-operational" pending an inquiry into the complaints.

The STF, comprising 15 personnel, was constituted in 2007 to track down notorious criminals and check organised crime in the state.