Patna: Two days after an FIR was registered against a Bhagalpur traffic DSP at Kadamkuan police station for allegedly harassing an elderly couple, the Patna police on Wednesday claimed that the case is related to a family dispute.
The FIR was filed against Bhagalpur traffic DSP Ashish Kumar and 10 others, including five unidentified individuals, at Kadamkuan police station in Patna on November 18, following a court order for allegedly assaulting Vijay Kumar (69) and pressuring him to transfer his house to his daughter-in-law.
Vijay mentioned in his complaint that around 5pm on September 9, his elder daughter-in-law Sadhana Singh barged into his house with her relative Ashish, along with her mother Anita Singh and two other relatives. They allegedly assaulted him and his wife, before coercing him into signing a blank stamp paper worth Rs 1,000 at gunpoint, according to the complaint. Hearing the commotion, neighbours gathered at the scene, after which the accused fled.
Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said the matter is related to a property dispute. “The complainant’s son is bedridden for the last three months. Sadhana used to ask for money for her husband’s treatment, but the elderly man refused every time. So Anita wanted a distribution of property. On the day, she came to Vijay’s house with the Bhagalpur traffic DSP, who is her cousin.”
Anita alleged Vijay has implicated them in a fake case. “My daughter is being harassed by her parents-in-law since her marriage 20 years ago. She was beaten up several times and once the elderly couple also tried to burn her. Her husband had a brain haemorrhage on August 1. His father did not give a single penny for his treatment. His another surgery is scheduled on December 4. Even the school fees of Sadhana’s two sons and a daughter are being paid by me,” she said, adding most persons named in the FIR do not even live in Patna.
According to complainant Vijay, the incident was reported to the Kadamkuan police station, however, no action was taken. The day after the incident, on September 10 around noon, Anita, along with four of her relatives, and three policemen from the Kadamkuan police station came to his house and threatened him to give the house to Sadahna, the complainant alleged.
When allegedly no action was taken by the police, the victim filed a petition in court seeking legal action. On November 12, the court ordered the Patna SSP to register an FIR, which was finally done on November 18.
The FIR included the names of Ashish, Sadhana, Anita, Raunak Pratap Singh, Anshu Devi and Abhay.
“There was, however, no atrocity by the police personnel in the matter. The police are conducting an impartial investigation into the entire matter. If found guilty, departmental and legal actions will be taken against the police personnel,” said the SSP.