Absconding Uttar Pradesh policewoman Laxmi Singh Chauhan, accused of embezzling ₹70 lakh, surrendered in an anti-corruption court in Meerut on Thursday along with constable Dheeraj Bhardwaj, who was allegedly her accomplice.
Ms. Chauhan was on the run for more than a month and according to local sources used every possible ‘connection’ to steer clear of the charges.
The surrender came after the Allahabad High Court rejected her appeal for anticipatory bail and the U.P. Police declared an award of ₹25,000 each on her and seven accomplices. The process of attachment of their properties had also started.
Hailed as ‘Lady Singham’ for her presence on social media, Ms. Chauhan was posted as SHO at Link Road police station in Ghaziabad when she embezzled ₹70 lakh while solving, ironically, a case of embezzlement.
According to the police, on April 22, CMS Info System company lodged an FIR of stealing money meant to be loaded in ATMs across the city against its employee Rajiv Sachan. The company claimed that Mr Sachan stole a sum of ₹75.50 lakhs.
During recovery on September 24, when the accused was arrested with an accomplice, the amount was found to be ₹1.15 crore but Ms. Chauhan showed only ₹45,81,500 as the recovered amount. Later, a CCTV footage showed Ms. Chauhan allegedly transferring a ‘bag’ from a government vehicle to her private car.
Raid at residence
On September 27, a team led by the then SP (City), Shlok Kumar, raided her residence and recovered ₹1.12 lakh and a bag of CMS Info System from there.
Soon, Sudhir Kumar Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ghaziabad, suspended her and a case under Section 409 of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against her and seven constables.
