Badaun: A police constable posted at Zarifnagar police station has been suspended and booked alongside two private operators for allegedly running an extortion racket by leaking login credentials of the Central Equipment Identity Register portal. Constable Javed, who served as a computer operator at the station, reportedly shared the confidential portal user ID and password with Prempal, the operator of a local public service centre. Prempal and his associate, Ranjit, allegedly tracked the live locations of missing and stolen handsets to extract money simultaneously from the original owners and the individuals found using the devices.
Two-sided extortion racket exposed after victim approaches senior officers
The illicit network unraveled when a local resident, Harish Babu, filed an online missing phone report through Prempal’s service centre. On September 4, Ranjit contacted Harish, informing him that his device had been traced and demanding Rs 4,000 for its return. When Harish refused, Ranjit threatened him with police action, a demand Prempal later reinforced. Harish eventually paid the amount under duress. During these exchanges, Prempal disclosed that he secured missing device data directly from Javed at the police station. Harish subsequently reported the matter to senior police officials, prompting an immediate formal inquiry.
Live tracking data used to threaten current users and owners alike
The departmental probe revealed that Javed handed the portal credentials to Prempal, enabling the private operators to retrieve handset locations and active user details simply by entering phone numbers. Prempal allegedly mapped the specific villages where devices were operational and dispatched Ranjit to confront the current users. Ranjit threatened these individuals with immediate imprisonment for possessing stolen property, extracting payments through fear of criminal prosecution. The devices were then seized and handed over to Javed at the police station, completing the first stage of the scheme. The operators would then contact the original owners, demanding further payments to return the recovered property.
Constable secured fifty percent cut as department initiates wider probe
Investigators established that the collected extortion money was systematically divided among the three accused, with Constable Javed receiving a fifty percent share while Prempal and Ranjit split the remainder. Following the inquiry findings, senior police officials placed Javed under immediate suspension and registered a First Information Report against him, Prempal, and Ranjit. Investigators are currently reviewing portal access logs to determine how long the credentials were compromised, the total number of devices tracked, the count of victims extorted, and whether additional personnel were involved in the operation.
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