NEW DELHI: An accused whose statement had helped a court blow the lid off an alleged gold smuggling racket has alleged that he and his family received death threats from the complainant. The case has also put officials of a police station under scanner for allegedly trying to hush it up.
The counsel for the accused, Sachendra, submitted that the complainant, Mohd Saad, along with his associates, had allegedly gone to his home in Uttar Pradesh and threatened his wife that they would kill the family if he made any statement in court.
“Sachendra has virtually opened up a box of worms wherein he has made certain incriminating statements against a group of persons involved in large-scale smuggling,” the court said, adding that his allegations were prima facie backed by the material collected by the investigating agency. “The threat perception... cannot be overlooked,” additional sessions judge Kamini Lau said on May 27. The additional DCP concerned submitted before the court that all necessary steps would be taken at the interstate level to protect Sachendra and his family.
The court had brought the case to the attention of the police commissioner after it found that Daryaganj police station officials facilitated a local builder/businessman, Saad, in lodging an FIR against a former employee to pressure him to return gold allegedly brought from Dubai and stolen from the former’s Delhi premises.
The racket came to the court’s notice while hearing Sachendra’s anticipatory bail application. Saad had alleged that Sachendra had stolen Rs 2 lakh and about 120 gram gold items from his almirah.
Even as the cops helped the builder get back his gold and compromised the matter, Sachendra filed an anticipatory bail plea. Anomalies in the FIR triggered suspicion of the judge, and an ACP-level officer then found that Saad had been to Dubai 37 times while his associates, Fahad Khan, eight times and Mohd Toheed 36 times.
Saad claimed he had an import business of belts, perfumes and burqas from Dubai, but the IO said the matter required an investigation, and the information was shared with Customs and Enforcement Directorate.
