Fresh allegations of extortion surface against Mumbai Police's ‘Lady Singham’

The petitioner with the writ petition documents. Pic/Satej Shinde

Trouble appears to be growing for ‘Lady Singham', Police Sub-Inspector Anjali Wani of the D N Nagar police station, as a criminal writ petitioner has now recorded statements at two different police stations, presenting a series of allegations against her. Following a report published by mid-day on October 25, the petitioner was summoned by both the Virar and D N Nagar police stations, where his statements were taken regarding an alleged threat call from Lady Singham and accusations of her high-handed behaviour.

The petitioner is a relative of a POCSO accused who has allegedly been framed and arrested in Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, by Wani and two other policemen. After the arrest, the police team transported him to the D N Nagar police station. However, he was presented before a competent court only after over 41 hours, which amounts to illegal detention. Besides filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court, the petitioner has also submitted multiple Right to Information (RTI) applications aimed at exposing Wani's alleged false claims.

"PSI Anjali Wani, who calls herself Lady Singham, had made WhatsApp calls to my number and threatened to falsely implicate me in a case. So, I had submitted a written complaint at Virar police station. But the files were not moving. The day mid-day published the story, I received a call from a police officer who asked me to visit Virar police station where my statement was recorded," said the petitioner.

"Also, when my relative was kept in illegal detention by PSI Wani at D N Nagar police station, I had made a written complaint to all the senior officials including the DCP and Addl CP (West Region) but there was no headway in my complaint," the petitioner said. "Even after recording my statement at Virar and D N Nagar police stations, the officers have not registered the FIR against PSI Wani to date," he added.

Meanwhile, the POCSO accused's relative, who accompanied Wani and her team to Rae Bareilly on October 21 to arrest him, has submitted an affidavit to advocate Narendra Dubey, alleging that he was extorted of Rs 45,000 to cover the cost of an air ticket that the cops purchased to arrest the accused When asked why no FIR has been registered despite the petitioner's recorded statement at D N Nagar police station against PSI Wani, the zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dikshit Gedam said, "I will have to enquire." When asked if the PSI and her team were given fare for an air ticket to travel to UP to arrest the POCSO accused, DCP Gedam said, "I will let you know."