Call money cases: False claims on the rise, says CP

“Of late, we have been getting a number of ‘distorted’ cases which are putting a lot of strain on the department”

June 26, 2016 12:00 am | Updated October 18, 2016 02:14 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA:

A woman claiming to be a victim of the call money racket outside the Police Commissioner’s office in Vijayawada on Saturday.— PHOTO: V. RAJU

A woman claiming to be a victim of the call money racket outside the Police Commissioner’s office in Vijayawada on Saturday.— PHOTO: V. RAJU

The murky call money racket that hit Andhra Pradesh in a big way is spawning new problems for the Police Department dealing with what looks like a never-ending series of similar cases.

The special Call Money Cell started in the premises of the office of City Police Commissioner D. Gautam Sawang continues to receive complaints on a daily basis lodged by ‘victims’ of private lenders operating in ‘call money’ mode.

Police officers dealing with the cases contend that of late there has been an increase in the number of ‘false’ claims made by people who come to them as ‘victims’.

‘Seeking quick fix solution’

Citing the case of Meduri Malleswari and her husband Hanumantha Rao, who work as contract labour in Ibrahimpatnam Thermal Power Station, Assistant Commissioner of Police Prakash Babu said at the preliminary stage of enquiry, they found many discrepancies in the claim made by the woman. “The woman seemed to be in mighty hurry for a quick fix solution. These are financial transactions that take place between two persons. The police need to investigate the charge to arrive at a conclusion. When we insisted on some more time to ascertain facts, she abruptly resurfaced today accompanied by members of some women’s organisation,” he said.

Outside the CP office gate, Ms. Malleswari told reporters that she had borrowed Rs. 50,000 from an employee of the thermal power station where she worked five years ago.

“I have so far paid Rs. 4.7 lakh towards interest and my ATM card and bank passbook have also been taken away by them,” she said.

“We have set up the special cell in good faith and expect people coming here to be honest. But of late, we have been getting a number of false and ‘distorted’ cases which are putting a lot of strain on the department,” said the Police Commissioner.

Explaining that an ad hoc mechanism has been put in place to deal with over 1,200 such cases, Mr. Sawang said the department was exercising the option of pre-litigation counselling for amicable solution to as many cases as possible. “Since these cases are of civil nature, we have constituted committees with reputed senior citizens of society and members of Bar Association as members to interact with both parties and arrive at a conclusion,” he added. “In this particular woman’s case, we found discrepancies and wanted to dig deeper to ascertain the facts. Meanwhile, she came along with members of a women’s organisation seeking an ‘instant’ solution which is not possible,” said the CP.

The Call Money Cell is a huge responsibility and distortions and dishonesty will take us farther from the truth,rues Mr. Sawang.

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