CUTTACK: Odisha Police today rubbished as "bogus" the complaint about donations being collected from people to raise funds to meet the legal expenses of arrested alleged al-Qaida operative Abdul Rehman.
Reports in a section of media caused flutter after it was claimed that a complaint was filed by one Sheikh Tahimur Ali of Sahipada village under Salepur police station of the state which alleged that some youths of his community were coercing him to cough up a hefty amount as donation to meet the legal expenses of Rehman.
However, a senior police official confirmed that subsequent probes revealed the complaint was bogus and no such exercise was taking place by anyone for the legal expenses of the alleged al-Qaida operative, who was arrested by the Delhi Police last year from his house here in Madhya Kachha area.
"The investigation so far revealed that Tahimur had some past rivalries with the youth of his village over his marital discord. In order to teach a lesson to the youth, Tahimur came up with the complaint implicating the youths for collecting donations for Rehman," Salepur SDPO P K Jena said tonight.
Jena, however, informed that Salepur police have registered a case based on the complaint of Tahimur.
In his written complaint, Tahimur named five youths and alleged that they had demanded an amount of Rs 50,000 from him as donations to meet the legal expenses of Rehman.
He further said in his complaint that the youths have threatened him and his son of dire consequences, if he did not cough up the money. Although, no arrests have been made in this connection
so far, the police are investigating into the development from all angles, Jena said.