UP cops arrested for failing to disclose amount seized from vehicle

In Gorakhpur, a police officer was arrested and suspended for not disclosing unaccounted cash seized during a vehicle checking drive. Alok Singh seized Rs 85 lakh but only returned Rs 35 lakh to traders, prompting a complaint to the SP city about alleged misconduct and hawala money transaction.

SSP Gaurav Grover confirmed the suspension of Alok Singh and two other policemen based on initial inquiry findings. Singh, stationed at Beni Ganj police post, seized the cash from trader Naveen Srivastav and his brother Gagan Srivastav during a drive at Charan Lal Chowk on April 3.

Despite the traders providing relevant papers, Singh only returned Rs 35 lakh and refused to give back the remaining Rs 50 lakh. The situation escalated when Gagan approached SP city Krishna Kumar, leading to the recovery of Rs 44 lakh from the police officer on Tuesday.

According to the SP city, the money seized was linked to a politician in Deoria district and was meant to be delivered to a trader in Maharajganj district. The alleged misconduct by Alok Singh in handling the cash and the threat to send the traders to jail raised concerns about violating the Model Code of Conduct and engaging in hawala money transactions.