Delhi Police books senior IPS officer in illegal raid, detention case

The Delhi Police has registered a case against senior IPS officer Shankar Choudhary on charges of conducting an illegal raid, unlawfully detaining a foreign national and misappropriating property in a case dating back to 2023, an official said on Friday.

Choudhary is a 2011-batch AGMUT cadre officer and the former Dwarka DCP.

According to the FIR, Choudhary has been booked under Sections 166 (public servant disobeying law), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. The case was registered on February 5 at the Vigilance police station.

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Officials said the FIR was registered following an enquiry conducted by the Union Home Ministry, which recommended initiation of disciplinary action against the officer.

As per the FIR, Choudhary allegedly conducted a raid in Delhi without any written authorisation and beyond his jurisdiction. During the operation, a foreign national identified as Harrison was allegedly detained illegally for four days.

A senior police officer said Harrison was neither formally arrested nor produced before a magistrate within the mandatory 24-hour period, as required under law.

The investigation further alleges that during the raid, lockers and bags were seized from Harrison’s residence. However, no seizure memo was prepared and the recovered items were neither officially documented nor deposited in any police malkhana, police said.

The FIR also states that Harrison was allegedly kept at Mizoram House in Vasant Vihar from November 26 to November 29, 2023. Vigilance officials said the premises cannot legally be used for detention.

As part of the probe, vigilance authorities examined CCTV footage, call detail records and recorded statements of 13 Delhi Police personnel.

According to the investigation, CCTV footage shows Choudhary visiting Harrison’s residence on the night of November 26, 2023, where he allegedly remained for nearly two hours. The footage also purportedly shows Harrison being taken out of the premises carrying lockers and bags, officials said.

Investigators said Harrison was subsequently taken to Mizoram House, where he remained until November 29, 2023.

Meanwhile, a PCR call was received by the Delhi Police on November 29, 2023. The caller, a woman, alleged that Mizoram Police officials had detained her brother, taken Rs 35 lakh from him and were demanding an additional Rs 20 lakh for his release. The caller had specifically named IPS officer Shankar Choudhary, officials said.

Although the identity and address of the caller could not be fully verified, vigilance officials noted that the timing of the PCR call coincided with Harrison’s release later that night, raising further suspicion.

Further investigation in the matter is underway, officials said.

Despite repeated messages and calls, no response was received from Choudhary.