Social activist Shabnam Hashmi claims encounter threat by police

NEW DELHI: Social activist Shabnam Hashmi approached the Delhi Police alleging that a man who claimed to be a police official has threatened to kill her in an “encounter”.

She also released an audio clip where a man who called her identified himself as Sub- Inspector Sandeep Malik from the Lajpat Nagar police station is heard issuing threats.

She has written to police commissioner Amulya Patnaik and sent its copy to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

“I was directly threatened that I will be killed in an encounter,” Hashmi told the media persons at a press conference at the Constitution Club.

In a Facebook post about the incident, Hashmi wrote:

“Unfortunately [the first time around] my telephone did not have a call recorder downloaded. The conversation which was full of abuses, using highly derogatory and uncivilised language could not be recorded. I cut the phone after 15 minutes or so and downloaded a call recorder quickly. In between the person who claimed to be the Sub Inspector Sandip Malik from Lajpat Nagar Police Station called four times but I didn’t pick up the phone till the recorder was downloaded”.

“I am attaching the recording which is self explanatory. The earlier conversation was a lot more threatening and abusive as compared to what has been recorded.”

I was directly threatened that I will be killed in an encounter and that there is the new law according to which whoever doesn’t have an aadhaar and address proof should be surrounded and killed (‘एक अभियान चल रहा है घेरो और मारो’ ). The man who claimed to be the Sub-Inspector called from mobile no 7065824289,” she stated in her letter.

Hashmi is co-founder of NGO Pehchan, which runs sewing classes. She said a woman, who learnt sewing at her centre, told her that her husband got a call from police last night asking him to appear at the Lajpat Nagar police station.

The man, autorikshaw driver Mohd Haseen (38), got scared because the “policeman” did not tell him the reason and just asked him to appear at the police station at the earliest, she said.

Delhi Police chief spokesperson Dependra Pathak said the matter will probed. “From the onset, it does not appear that someone from the Delhi Police made this call. This complaint will be inquired into and strict action will be taken,” said the officer.

Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast), said there is no one in the name of Sandeep Malik posted in the Lajpat Nagar police station.

With PTI inputs