PRAMOD KUMAR SONI Vs. STATE OF M.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition is filed under Sec. 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 seeking quashment of FIR bearing Crime No.473/2025 registered at Police Station Lakhanwara, District Seoni (M.P.) for offences punishable under Ss. 310(2), 126(2), 140(3), 61(2) and 238(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with all consequential criminal proceedings arising therefrom.

(2.) Case of prosecution is that on 9/10/2025, one Sohan Lal Parmar, a resident of Jalna, Maharashtra, lodged information at Police Station Kotwali alleging that his associate Mukhtar and driver Irfan Pathan had been intercepted and robbed by personnel of Seoni Police. It was alleged that out of a total sum of Rs.2,96,50,000.00 being transported in a vehicle, an amount of Rs.1,45,00,000.00 had been unlawfully taken by police officials. Upon receipt of the complaint, the matter was escalated to senior police official, who ordered a preliminary inquiry. Shri Ayush Gupta, Additional Superintendent of Police, was appointed as the Inquiry Officer to ascertain the veracity of the allegations.

(3.) During the course of inquiry, it was revealed that the complainant and his associates were allegedly transporting a large sum of cash, suspected to b e hawala money, in a Creta vehicle. The inquiry further disclosed that information regarding such transportation had reached the then SDOP, Pooja Pandey (co-accused). Acting upon the said information, Pooja Pandey allegedly conducted a raid along with a team of police officials including ASI Arpit Bhairam, Head Constables Ravindra Uike, Makhan Singh Inwati, and Rajesh Janghela, Constables Jagdish Yadav, Yogendra Chaurasiya, Subhash Sadaphal, Kedar Singh, Neeraj Rajpoot, and driver Reetesh Verma. It is alleged that after intercepting the vehicle and recovering the cash amount, the raiding party attempted to negotiate a settlement with the occupants of the vehicle, demanding 75% of the recovered amount. Subsequently, a sum of Rs.1,45,00,000.00 was allegedly taken by SDOP Pooja Pandey and the individuals Mukhtar and Irfan were released.