The Chandigarh police have started conducting raids at possible hideouts of sub-inspector Naveen Phogat, who was booked on Thursday for allegedly raping a 25-year-old Mumbai model.

Cops said raids were conducted at Phogat’s house in Sector 42 besides his cousins’ houses in Panchkula, but he remains absconding. Phogat is married and belongs to Rohtak. Raiding teams are widening their search to catch him, said senior officials.

Phogat, who has been booked under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 31 police station, had been suspended and transferred to the police lines in August after corruption allegations were levelled against him in the Bitcoin forgery case. He was on leave at present.

Throwing more light on his dubious record, a senior official privy to the investigation said: “Cases that were being investigated by Phoghat were mostly quashed in court as they were not taken to their logical conclusion by him. Moreover, there are multiple complaints of corruption against him, which are being verified.”

As in many cases being investigated by Phogat, complainants were women, police are also probing whether any of them fell victim to him.

The victim in the present case had come to the city to lodge a complaint of fraud against a local man who had allegedly duped her of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of getting her photoshoot done to help her enter Punjabi film industry.

Phogat, who was investigating the case, offered to drop her to her hotel in the Industrial Area on June 12. There he allegedly blackmailed her by claiming that he had her objectionable videos and pictures, and raped her. Phogat is also facing allegation of Rs 15-20 lakh graft in the Bitcoin case.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/raids-on-to-arrest-chandigarh-police-sub-inspector-booked-for-raping-mumbai-based-model-old-cases-being-probed-too/story-kpfvUIYdLv080JEqZ46vhP.html