Daily News Magazine from India & around the world.

THIS is the stuff Bollywood potboilers are made of. A woman police constable falls in love with a criminal and wants to get married. But the story takes a different turn when her superiors come to know of the affair.

Reena Khan, a 22- year- old Haryana Police constable, fell in love with undertrial, Mushtaq.

The two were reportedly college friends and became close when both applied for a police job.

While Reena got through, Mushtaq failed and took to crime.

For the last two years he has been languishing at the Bhondsi jail but that didn’t deter the two from continuing their affair.

However, it didn’t go down well with the police authorities.

Reena had to lose her job for her alleged nexus with a criminal against whom several dacoity cases are pending.

The affair was discovered after police intercepted calls made by Mushtaq. “ The Gurgaon Police were keeping a tab on the phone calls of a few criminals. During their investigation they found out that Mushtaq — of the infamous Salli gang — was in regular touch with Reena, a Haryana Police constable,” Mewat SP Ram Singh Bishnoi said.

“ They used to call each other late in the night and were also planning to get married. How he managed to get a phone inside the jail is also a matter of investigation,” he added.

“ After intercepting calls, investigators found out that a lady constable from Nuh was talking to a prisoner. The calls were recorded and Reena was questioned.

She admitted that she used to talk to Mushtaq and that she was in love with him. She claimed that she had never assisted him in any criminal activities and had even urged him to leave the crime world,” Bishnoi said.

He added that Reena used to meet Mushtaq regularly and gave him money. “ Her name figures in the register of Bhondsi jail. She was recently caught handing over Rs 10,000 to Mushtaq.

But the charges could not be proved as she claimed that the money was given by his relative,” Bishnoi said.

A Gurgaon police source said some members of the Salli gang had recently fled from prison and they were intercepting Mushtaq’s calls to know their whereabouts.

“ Mushtaq was also planning his escape and we were keeping a tab of his phone calls. During this we learned that he was having an affair with a Haryana Police constable,” said a Gurgaon Police officer.

After Mushtaq was arrested and taken to Bhondsi jail, Reena got herself posted as a guard on the prison van which ferried prisoners to court. They used to spend quality time during that period which came to an end some six months back.

Bishnoi said Reena’s services had been terminated for her alleged nexus with a criminal.

“ In her personal life she is allowed to do anything. But the job of the police doesn’t allow a woman to get married to a criminal,” Bishnoi pointed out.