32 new cops join Modinagar police station

GHAZIABAD: Thirty-two new personnel joined

Modinagar police station

on Wednesday, a day after

SSP Hari Narayan Singh

shunted out its entire staff following laxity in the murder probe of a 14-year-old girl.

More policemen are likely to join the station in the next couple of days, sources said.

On Tuesday, the SSP removed a total of 133 cops, including 96 constables, 13 women constables, four sub-inspectors, 19 head constables and one SSI, posted at

Modinagar

police station.

All of them have been sent to

police lines

following allegations of mishandling of a case related to the kidnap and murder of a 14-year-old girl, Poonam Yadav, in the town.

“There was trust deficit among Modinagar residents because of the manner in which police handled the murder of a 14-year-old. Thus, it was necessary to regain the trust of the people and also send a strong message to the personnel,” said the SSP.

According to Singh, the newly deployed cops have been drawn from the police lines and different police stations in the district.

Sources said Modinagar MLA Manju Siwach had met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and apprised him of the case on Monday, prompting the police department to get into a face-saving act.

“I was closely monitoring the case and had even met SHO Sanjay Verma at Modinagar police station. But beyond assurances, the police were practically doing nothing. The police, in a brazen display of laxity, tried to protect the accused, which I could not tolerate. So I went to Lucknow on Monday and met the chief minister and explained him the case,” Siwach told TOI. “I got to know that the accused enjoyed political patronage from a certain party, which explains why the prime accused, Hari Om Sharma, was let go by police even after calling him for interrogation,” the MLA added.

The mutilated body of the Class IX girl was found in the jungles of Kalchheena last week, nearly a week she had reportedly gone missing.


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