Lucknow: Six policemen, including SHO of Fatehganj West in UP’s Bareilly, were suspended by SSP (Bareilly) Chandrabhan Ghule after their WhatsApp call with notorious drug smuggler Mohd Shanu alias Sonu Kalia was widely circulated on social media on Tuesday.
Police said that after conversations between Mohd Shanu and SHO Manoj Kumar came to the notice of SSP Bareilly, he asked circle officer (Meerganj), Harsh Modi, to investigate. Upon checking the SHO’s WhatsApp account, it was found he’d been in touch with Shanu and had shared information with him.”
Head constable Babar, posted at Shergarh police station; constables Dildar and Munawar Alam of CB Ganj police station; constable Harsh Chowdhary of Hafizganj police station; and UP special operations group head constable Anil Kumar Premi, were also in touch with Shanu.
“Manoj and five others have been suspended. They have been charged with gross negligence, laxity, indiscipline, arbitrariness and misbehaviour. Further action will be taken after the probe is completed,” police said.
A senior cop privy to details said these policemen were protecting the smuggler and supporting him in his crimes.
“Shanu had developed ties with local officers who used to provide him safe passage and tipped him off moments before raids. The SHO had also purportedly released three cow smugglers without registering an FIR though they’d been caught red-handed with bovines,” he said.
Shanu has been absconding for the past two years. He was booked twice under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2021 and 2022 for smuggling ‘smack’ (drugs). He has “property worth millions” — all acquired within a few years mainly by smuggling drugs to Delhi, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
