Delhi Police books senior IPS officer for illegal raid, unlawful detention

The Delhi Police has registered a criminal case against senior IPS officer Shankar Choudhary , accusing him of conducting an illegal raid , unlawfully detaining a foreign national and misappropriating seized property in an incident dating back to November 2023 , officials said on Friday.

Choudhary, a 2011-batch IPS officer of the AGMUT cadre and former Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Dwarka , has been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 166 (disobeying law), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) . The FIR was registered on February 5 at the Vigilance police station .

The case was initiated following an enquiry by the Union Home Ministry (UHM) , which recommended disciplinary action after finding prima facie violations of law.

According to the FIR, Choudhary allegedly conducted a raid in Delhi without written authorisation and outside his jurisdiction . During the operation, a foreign national identified as Harrison was allegedly detained illegally for four days , from November 26 to November 29, 2023 .

Officials said Harrison was neither formally arrested nor produced before a magistrate within 24 hours , as mandated under criminal procedure. He was allegedly kept at Mizoram House in Vasant Vihar , a premises which vigilance officials said cannot legally be used as a detention facility .

The investigation further alleges that lockers and bags were seized from Harrison’s residence during the raid. However, no seizure memo was prepared , and the items were neither officially documented nor deposited in any police malkhana , raising suspicions of misuse of authority.

As part of the probe, vigilance authorities examined CCTV footage, call detail records , and recorded statements of 13 Delhi Police personnel . CCTV footage allegedly shows Choudhary visiting Harrison’s residence on the night of November 26, 2023, and remaining there for nearly two hours. The footage also purportedly shows Harrison being taken out carrying lockers and bags.

Investigators said Harrison was later taken to Mizoram House, where he remained until his release on November 29, 2023. On the same day, Delhi Police received a PCR call from a woman alleging that Mizoram Police officials had detained her brother, taken ₹35 lakh , and demanded an additional ₹20 lakh for his release. The caller reportedly named Choudhary in the complaint.

Although the identity of the caller could not be fully verified, officials noted that the call coincided with Harrison’s release later that night, adding to the suspicion. Further investigation is underway. Repeated attempts to contact Choudhary for his response were unsuccessful, officials said.