City police commissioner Vineet Goyal called classical vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan and his wife Joyeeta Basu Khan on Thursday and assured them that police were looking into their complaint of an alleged extortion attempt on the family’s driver early on Wednesday by a section of officers on EM Bypass.
“Rashid had been contacted by the police commissioner, and he had me join a conference call. We were informed that there was nothing to be concerned about and that the police were looking into the situation, according to Basu Khan.
On Wednesday, she had alleged that the police had stopped their car on EM Bypass and threatened to implicate the driver in a drink-driving case if he did not pay Rs 2,000.
Basu Khan said the vehicle was on its way to the airport to drop off musicians who had performed with Rashid Khan at a show.
According to Basu Khan, who spoke to The Telegraph, “A cop demanded Rs 2,000 from our driver but when our manager who was in the car said he had only Rs 40 on him as parking fee, the cop threatened to prosecute the driver for drink-driving.”
When the car passed by at 3.12 am, a drive against drunk driving, according to the police, was in progress. Like other drivers, Khan’s driver was made to blow through a breathalyser that gave a reading of over 67 mg/100ml.
Under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, a person can be imprisoned for up to six months or fined Rs 2,000 if the reading exceeds 30mg per 100ml.
A team of officers spoke to Basu Khan and took down her statement at her Naktala residence late on Thursday.
Before Thursday night, the Khans had not officially complained.
An official of the level of joint police commissioner together with a deputy commissioner of police of the division have been entrusted to carry out a probe into the claims.
“As part of the probe, investigators will record statements of those involved,” an officer said.
According to Basu Khan, the driver called her after the automobile was transferred to the Pragati Maidan police station. “I requested him to put the phone on speaker and spoke to the officers. I was told there was a drink-driving case against him and that if I wanted my car back, I had to give an application,” she said.
The police then found the car was registered in Rashid Khan’s name. He went and signed the application. Later in the day, the driver was granted bail.
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