MEERUT, Jan. 13 -- A police station house officer (SHO) in Badaun district is under investigation for allegedly fabricating a cattle smuggling encounter and falsely implicating an innocent man, after the accused's family presented mobile location records and CCTV footage proving he was in another city when the crime occurred. The case has triggered action from senior officers, with all raids suspended pending inquiry. The accused's family approached senior police officials with digital evidence showing that the man named in the case was in Bareilly district at the time of the incident, not at the location where the encounter allegedly took place. Rajesh Kaushik, in-charge of Kunwargaon police station, assumed charge on November 1. On November 6, the remains of a prohibited animal were found in Hussainpur Karautiya village forests. A farmer lodged a complaint about the theft and slaughter of his animal. The next morning, police registered a case claiming an encounter with cattle smugglers. Police arrested one person, Sartaj, while naming Shibte Raza, Bablu and Nawase as having fled. During a preliminary inquiry, the deputy inspector general (DIG) Ajay Kumar Sahni found Kaushik's role suspicious. He was summoned to headquarters and instructed not to conduct raids until a detailed investigation was completed. Despite this, the station in-charge allegedly sought help from the Badaun Special Operations Group (SOG) through personal contacts. The SOG raided Arifpur village but did not find the accused. They detained a 70-year-old neighbour, Fareed, and took him to Badaun Kotwali. After complaints to the DIG and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Brajesh Kumar Singh, the elderly man was released. CCTV footage of his detention later circulated widely. Habiba Begum, the mother of the accused Shibte Raza, met the DIG and submitted evidence. She said her family originally lived in Hussainpur Karautiya village and her son had planned to contest the village head election, creating political rivalry. Three years ago, an FIR on cattle smuggling was filed against unknown persons, and her son's name was added later. The family then moved to Badaun. Badaun SSP said district police are investigating the matter of allegedly falsely implicating someone in a cattle smuggling case. Following directions from the range office, all raid-like actions at the police station level have been stopped. He said the SOG may not have been fully aware of these instructions. "While police remain committed to preventing the smuggling of prohibited animals, framing innocent people will not be tolerated. If the allegations prove true, strict action will be taken against those responsible," DIG Sahni said. Explanations will be sought from the SOG and concerned officers regarding why raids were conducted despite clear warnings.htc...