In a shocking case of police misconduct, two Kolkata police officers were arrested for allegedly threatening and extorting money from a cab driver. The two officers, identified as Koushik Ghosh and Md Montil, were taken into custody following a complaint by the victim, a cab driver, who accused them of demanding ₹4 lakh and threatening to frame him in a false case if he failed to comply.
The incident reportedly began in August when the accused officers contacted the cab driver to rent his car for a journey from Kolkata to East Burdwan, a district in West Bengal. On August 29, the driver picked up the two officers from Kolkata’s Bullygunge area, and they began their trip towards East Burdwan’s Shaktigarh district.
According to the victim’s complaint, the officers asked the cab driver to stop near the Writer’s Building in Kolkata, where they claimed to have some “official work.” After they emerged from the Writer’s Building, the situation escalated. The two officers allegedly thrashed the cab driver and demanded ₹4 lakh. They threatened him with dire consequences, warning that they would falsely implicate him in a case if he didn’t pay the extortion money.
Terrified by the threats and fearing for his safety, the cab driver managed to gather ₹2 lakh, which he handed over to the officers. Despite this partial payment, the threat of being implicated in a false case continued to loom over him.
Unable to bear the harassment any longer, the cab driver approached the Kolkata Police and lodged a formal complaint against the two officers. Based on his detailed account of the incident, Koushik Ghosh and Md Montil were arrested and charged with extortion. Both officers were posted to the Detective Department of the Kolkata Police at the time of the incident.
Following their arrest, the accused officers were produced in court on September 24, where police custody was granted to further investigate the matter. The arrest of two police officers for such serious offenses has raised concerns about police integrity and has led to widespread condemnation from the public.
The Kolkata Police have assured a thorough investigation into the case, and further action will be taken based on the findings. This case has also reignited conversations about police accountability and the need for reforms within law enforcement agencies to prevent the misuse of power.
