Four employees at the Haliyapur toll plaza on the Purvanchal Expressway have been sacked and booked for allegedly recording an intimate moment of a newly-wed couple using CCTV, extorting them for money, and later circulating the video on social media, police said on Wednesday.
The footage—captured from a CCTV camera installed at the toll booth—reportedly shows the couple sharing a kiss inside their car. According to police, the toll plaza’s traffic manager zoomed in on the live feed, recorded the clip, and subsequently leaked it online.
The FIR was lodged at the Haliyapur police station based on a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Raffan Khan. Police said the accused misused surveillance cameras to record private videos of travellers and used the footage to blackmail victims for illegal monetary gain.
The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) immediately terminated traffic manager Shashank Shekhar, system technician Ashutosh Tiwari, system engineer Pramod Kumar, and another staff member. UPEIDA Project Manager Abhishek Chauhan confirmed their removal and said they were directly involved in circulating the video and attempting extortion.
Sources said IG (Ayodhya Range) Praveen Kumar, Sultanpur SP Kunwar Anupam Singh, and senior UPEIDA officials visited the toll plaza late Tuesday night, reviewed the case, and directed officers to take strict action.
Police later raided Shashank Shekhar’s rented accommodation in Haliyapur but did not find him there. Baldirai Circle Officer Ashutosh Kumar said police had taken cognizance of the video and acted promptly on instructions from senior authorities.
Three dismissed employees have been detained for questioning, while efforts are ongoing to trace the fourth accused, whose identity has not yet been revealed.
“No accused will be spared,” the officer said.
