The Brave Pedestrian

Mumbai, 2 9 April, 2015: Can the Police Cybercrime Cell target you for filing an online complaint on the Anti Corruption Bureau? Can Anti Curruption Bureau (ACB) pass on information about your online complaint to the Cybercrime Cell? Isn't ACB supposed to treat such complaints as confidential and investigate the subject of the complaint, rather than turning the spotlight on the complainant himself? On 14 Jan, 2015, Dr Mahesh A Deshmukh, MD, Fellow Rheumatology, based in Nanded, Maharashtra, received a call from Mr. Harshal Chavan, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Office of the Superintendent of Police, asking him to come along with his wife to the SP's office the next morning, regarding a complaint of cybercrime against him. What followed was a harrowing three-week experience of repeatedly being called, "interrogated" and blackmailed for Rs 35,000 by the ASI with the connivance of a conman named Praveen Kumar Khandewal. Throughout this three-week nightmare, there was...

Chapter III: Bribery, Bombay-Ishtyle “Hey, idhar ruk-re. Bus!” , said Tony, halting the taxi outside Azad Maidan Police Station. “Panch minute ruk, mein aata hoon!” “You wait here in taxi”, he said to Henderson, switching to English. “I will give the money and come. Give me the money-packet.” Henderson reached into his hip pocket, took out a fat envelope and he handed it over. But, just before he had relinquished his hold on it, wisdom dawned. “Wait! How do I know you won't run away with the money?” “You must believe me!”, cried Tony, tugging the packet on which he had a good grip. “Give me!” “No!”, cried Henderson in desperation. “I will come with you!” Tony gave in and let go suddenly. “OK, you come. See what happens. I am not answerable if they put you inside jail”, he said sulkily. Undeterred, Henderson hurriedly paid the taxi fare and followed Tony into the police station. But the young rogue had had a head start, and he made use of it by running into the Sub-...