Udaipur Police from the Nai police station are at the center of a major scandal where they allegedly framed five innocent tribal men in a murder case.
A shocking case of corruption and abuse of power has emerged from the Nai Police Station in Udaipur, where a Station House Officer (SHO) and a head constable are accused of framing five innocent tribal men in a murder case and then forcing them to hand over their agricultural land as a bribe for their release.
The investigation, reveals that after arresting the men, SHO Leelaram and Head Constable Lalit Kumar engaged in 15 days of negotiations for a bribe. When it became clear the impoverished adivasis had no money, the officers allegedly took 4.39 bighas of their land instead.
The victims have been identified as Nanji son of Gunja, Nanu son of Kamla, Dharma son of Rupa, Vesha son of Ratna, and Khatu son of Huma. They were arrested in connection with the murder of one Babulal on March 14, 2025.
The Land-for-Freedom Deal
According to the report, when the tribal men could not arrange the demanded ₹2 lakh each for their release, SHO Leelaram called two local brokers, Kailash and Kishan, to the police station to broker a deal for their land.
In a brazen move, on March 24, 2025, the police transported the five accused in a official police vehicle to the sub-registration office in Barapal. There, the power of attorney for approximately 4.39 bighas of land was registered in the name of a “dummy” person, also named Babulal, about whom the real owner knew nothing.
Despite giving up their land, the men were held for two more days. They were finally released on the night of March 27, when police drove them to a deserted jungle and abandoned them.
The victims confirmed to Bhaskar that they did not receive a single rupee in exchange for their land. A court order in the related murder case also noted that the investigating officer did not find any evidence against these five individuals.
The tribal men shared their traumatic ordeal:
Sharing their ordeal, Khatu said, “The land was in my sons’ names, so they made me put my thumbprint as a witness. I didn’t even know why they were making me give my thumbprint.”
Another accused Nanji stated, “We only had 1 bigha of land, and the police took that too. They made us strip our clothes at the station, threatened to frame us… We had no money, so they took our land to release us.”
According to Nanu: “The police took me to the registry office. I had a little more than 1 bigha of land; they took it all. We were locked up in the station for over 15 days. We only got rid of them by giving our land.”
Vesha told the media: “We had no money, so the SHO said, ‘Tell me you will give your land, only then will I let you go.’ They took all my land. How will I provide for my children now?”
Departmental Inquiry and Admissions
A departmental inquiry was conducted by Additional SP Gopal Swarup Mevada and Deputy SP Suryaveer Singh Rathore. During this, the accused Head Constable Joshi allegedly confessed in his statement that, on SHO Leelaram’s orders, he took ₹10 lakh from the brokers Kailash and Kishan in exchange for the land. Out of this, he kept ₹5 lakh and gave ₹5 lakh to SHO Leelaram.
It is alleged that the higher-ups tried to suppress the matter for a month. However, following media investigations, the police department was forced to act.
Udaipur Inspector General of Police (IG) Gaurav Srivastava confirmed the findings and the action taken.
“In the primary investigation of this matter, both the SHO and the constable have been found guilty. They were immediately placed on line duty (a punitive action) at night,” IG Srivastava stated. “Furthermore, a proposal for action against the SHO has been prepared and sent to the DGP, as action against an SHO is taken at the DGP level.”
The case has exposed a severe breach of trust and the exploitation of the most vulnerable by those sworn to protect them.
FAQs: The Udaipur Police Scandal – Human Rights and Corruption
1. What was the primary human rights violation committed by the police?
The most severe human rights violation was the illegal and arbitrary detention of five innocent tribal men. They were falsely implicated in a murder case and held in the police station for over 15 days without any evidence. During this time, they were coerced and threatened, with police even forcing them to strip, which constitutes cruel and degrading treatment. This is a direct violation of their fundamental right to life and personal liberty (Article 21 of the Indian Constitution).
2. How did the police use their power for corrupt financial gain?
The police orchestrated a sophisticated extortion scheme. After realizing the victims had no cash, they leveraged the false murder charges to demand their most valuable asset: agricultural land. By using official police resources—including a government vehicle—to transport the victims to the registration office and forcing them to sign a Power of Attorney under duress, they effectively stole 4.39 bighas of land. The admission by a constable that ₹10 lakh was taken from brokers for this land confirms this was a clear act of corruption and bribery.
3. Beyond the extortion, what other corrupt practices were exposed?
The case reveals a deep abuse of the legal process and forgery. The police:
Fabricated Evidence: They knowingly framed innocent individuals in a serious crime (murder) to create leverage for extortion.
Committing Fraud: They orchestrated a fraudulent property transfer by using a “dummy” person and forcing one victim to sign as a witness without his knowledge or consent.
Obstruction of Justice: There was an attempt to suppress the entire incident for a month, highlighting a systemic failure and a culture of impunity within the force until the media investigation brought it to light.