A head constable stationed at Jarifnagar police station in Badaun has been suspended and booked alongside two operators of a common service centre for allegedly orchestrating an extortion racket using confidential police credentials. The accused policeman, Javed, who functioned as a computer operator at the station, reportedly shared restricted departmental login credentials with a local cyber kiosk operator. This unauthorized access allowed private individuals to track traced mobile phones and demand money from complainants before formal police procedures could be completed. Following a preliminary departmental inquiry, authorities arrested public service centre operator Prempal alias Bunty and his aide Ranjit, remanding both to judicial custody.
Confidential Access Leveraged for Extortion
The illicit operation relied on real-time tracking data generated by cyber cell units handling lost mobile devices. Armed with the police station’s login credentials, Prempal was able to monitor surveillance updates directly from his service centre in Padariya village. Whenever a reported device was traced or retrieved, the operators obtained the details ahead of law enforcement officers and reached out to the individuals involved. Victims and individuals holding the traced handsets were subsequently threatened with fabricated criminal proceedings and coerced into paying substantial sums under the pretext of recovery expenses.
Complaint Triggers Departmental Investigation
The network unraveled after Harish Babu alias Heera Singh, a resident of Rampur Tappa Vaish, lodged a formal complaint regarding his missing handset. Harish Babu had originally registered his missing device at Prempal’s kiosk, only to have the operator arrive at his residence a few days later claiming the handset was located. Prempal demanded monetary charges for returning the device and disclosed that he had secured access to the police tracking portal through Javed. When Harish Babu resisted, the extortion demand escalated from 4,000 rupees to 10,000 rupees, accompanied by death threats. The matter was placed before the Senior Superintendent of Police, who initiated a formal investigation into the security breach.
Document Seizures and Financial Scrutiny
The departmental inquiry verified the illicit sharing of police credentials and sensitive tracking logs, prompting criminal registration against Javed, Prempal, and Ranjit. While Javed faced immediate departmental suspension, raiding teams recovered four mobile phones, three laptops, 30 empty phone boxes, 18 bank passbooks, 11 Aadhaar cards, four ATM cards, and several PAN cards from the kiosk operators. Investigators are scrutinizing the seized electronic devices and banking records to trace financial transactions tied to the extortion scheme and determine how long the confidential network operated.
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