Panchkula: 3 traffic cops in dock for extorting

The Panchkula Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked three traffic police officers for allegedly extorting ₹1,000 from an assistant district attorney under the garb of a speeding challan near the Jaloli toll plaza in Panchkula district.
According to the complainant, Rohit Singla, he was on his way in his Hyundai Creta car from Panchkula towards Kurukshetra on August 27, 2023, when traffic police officers stopped him near the toll plaza in the afternoon.
Accusing him of speeding, the cops imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on him. To pay the fine, they instructed him to scan a QR code from his mobile phone. Singla alleged that he made the payment, but he did not receive any receipt physically or electronically.
Alleging that the traffic police fraudulently extorted money from him under the guise of issuing a fine, he filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Following Singla’s complaint, the ACB initiated a probe and discovered that the ₹1,000 paid by Singla were transferred to the HDFC bank account of Yashpal Sachdeva, owner of a sweet shop near the old Panchkula Traffic Post.
On the day of the incident, three traffic police officers—Om Prakash, Sachin and Surendra—were found to be on duty at the toll plaza around the time Singla was stopped.
Call detail records (CDR) were analysed, revealing that Sachin made a call to Sachdeva shortly after Singla’s payment, indicating a possible collusion between the officers and the sweet shop owner, according to ACB sleuths.
It was also noted that senior officials had instructed the traffic staff not to stop vehicles for checks or fines at that time. Despite these orders, the involved officers proceeded to stop Singla’s car and demand a bribe.
As a result of the findings, the three traffic police officers were booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, particularly Section 13(1)(A), which pertains to public servants abusing their position for undue advantage.
Inspector Amit Kumar from ACB also recommended a thorough investigation into the officers’ conduct to uncover any further misconduct or similar incidents. After lodging the FIR on October 11, police sent the report to the special judge’s court in Panchkula.