Action recommended against former Dehradun SSP, Clementown police incharge in former Naval officer’s house loot and demolition case

Action recommended against former Dehradun SSP, Clementown police incharge in former Naval officer’s house loot and demolition case

Dehradun, March 15

Uttarakhand State Police Complaints Authority Police has recommended the state government to initiate action against former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Dehradun, Janmejay Khanduri, and the then-Station House Officer (SHO) of Clement Town, Narendra Gehlawat in the incidents of looting and demolition of a house of a former Naval officer in Clementown area of Dehradun in January 2022 by land mafia.

The State Police Complaints Authority in its report on March 12, found the officers guilty of failing to prevent the incident—which involved looting and the demolition of a residential building—and for failing to register an FIR in a timely manner.

The Authority has recommended to the Home Department of the Government of Uttarakhand that disciplinary action be initiated against both officers.

The then-SSP, Janmejay Khanduri, is currently posted in Delhi on deputation, while the then-SHO, Narendra Gehlawat, is currently posted at the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Garhwal Range, Dehradun.

The complaint was lodged with the Authority by Kusum Kapoor, the resident of the demolished house. She had stated that her husband V.K. Kapoor, a naval officer had passed away and she used to reside in the bungalow with her unmarried daughter, Tina Kapoor, who is mentally challenged.

.Kusum Kapoor stated that on January 7, 2022, she had gone to Noida for medical treatment. In her absence, one Amit Yadav, in collusion with Mona Randhawa, took forcible possession of the bungalow with the help of 30 to 40 armed individuals.

Subsequently, household items, documents, jewelry, and military service awards were loaded into trucks and carted away. Following this, the entire bungalow was demolished using three or four JCB machines.

Kusum Kapoor on hearing about the incident from her neighbours rushed to Dehradun. After running from pillar to post for justice, the mother-daughter duo had a tough in meeting the Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Janmejay Khanduri who feigned ignorance about the case and made them wait for hours together.

Finally, when they contacted the then Uttarakhand Police DGP Ashok Kumar who took serious cognizance of the matter and ordered that a case be registered. However, the station Incharge registered a case but in lighter sections in an alleged attempt to help the culprits. An FIR was registered under sections 147, 452,447,427,323, 506 of the IPC. This infuriated the DGP who ordered the suspension of the Clementown police station Incharge Narendra Gehlaut.

Later, Kusum Kapoor also went to Nainital High Court seeking justice. A special investigative Team (SIT) was formed by the police to look into the case.