Meerut, Feb. 17 -- In a major disciplinary action, the superintendent of police of Sambhal, Krishan Kumar Bishnoi, has suspended the entire Special Operations Group (SOG) team, including its in-charge and seven personnel, after an inquiry confirmed allegations that they extorted money from a scrap dealer and seized his material. The action followed an investigation conducted by circle officer Alok Kumar Bhati, which found the complaint to be true. The suspension orders were issued on Sunday. According to officials, scrap dealer Zafruddin, a resident of Bilari in Moradabad district, was travelling with his son, Aas Mohammad, on the night of February 2 toward Ladam Sarai, carrying scrap mobile plates. Around 9 pm, the SOG team allegedly intercepted their motorcycle and took them to the police outpost at Chaudhary Sarai. The complaint states that after intermediaries intervened, the matter was "settled," and the father-son duo were released only after paying Rs.30,000. They further alleged that the team confiscated the metal extracted from the mobile plates. Though they were allowed to leave that night, they contacted the team again the next day seeking the return of their material. The accused officers allegedly demanded another Rs.40,000 to return the sack of metal. When the complaint reached the SP, a preliminary inquiry was ordered and found the allegations to be substantiated. Acting on the findings, the SP suspended SOG in-charge sub-inspector Mohit Chaudhary along with seven personnel. Officials also noted that the suspended SOG team had struggled to deliver results in several serious criminal cases. In the Junawai police station area, the main accused in the murder of BJP leader Gulfam Singh was not arrested by the team and later surrendered in court in Badaun. Similarly, in the Dhanari police station limits, an accused in the killing of two brothers remained absconding for a long time before eventually surrendering. In another case under Kailadevi police station jurisdiction, the team failed to find any leads after a seven-year-old girl went missing. Police officials stated that SOG units typically play a crucial supporting role for local police stations in solving major crimes. However, the now-suspended team had reportedly failed in multiple important investigations, which added to the seriousness of the extortion allegations and prompted swift departmental action....