Hyderabad police examine IPS officer in property dispute case, deny arrest

Hyderabad, Dec 27: Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Naveen Kumar Bhatt was questioned by Hyderabad police on Wednesday in a case relating to a dispute over the property owned by retired Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer Bhanwar Lal’s wife.

Bhatt, the Deputy Director of Telangana State Police Academy, left the Central Crime Station (CCS) on Wednesday night after questioning.

The police denied that he was arrested.

The IPS official told media persons that he came to give his version. He said a case was registered on a complaint though the matter is sub-judice. He denied the allegations made in the complaint and claimed that he has done nothing wrong. He said facts would soon come out.

Bhatt was booked along with his brother-in-law Orsu Sambasiva Rao and the latter’s wife O. Roopa Dimple last month on a complaint by Mani Lal, wife of Bhanwar Lal. The case was registered against them on November 17 under Indian Penal Code's Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) r/w 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention)

While Sambasiva Rao and his wife, accused number one and three respectively, were arrested on December 22, Bhatt, named as accused number two, was shown absconding.

Sambasiva Rao, a businessman, had taken the house of Bhanwar Lal in posh Jubilee Hills on rent. Though the five-year rental agreement ended in 2019, he allegedly refused to vacate the house. Bhatt was staying in that house on rent allegedly in violation of the rental agreement.

The complainant alleged that the accused had prepared fake documents and forged the signature to grab her house.

Meanwhile, Bhatt’s family members alleged that it is a conspiracy against him. His son Sahit termed the case a conspiracy against his father when he was due for promotion. "If this can happen to an IPS officer how can normal people survive in this city," he asked.

Satish, leader of a Backward Class organisation, has also voiced concern over the arrest of Naveen Kumar. He said it was a civil matter pending in the High Court for the last three years. He called the arrest pre-planned and demanded a CB-CID inquiry.