Two more constables suspended for extorting money

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Two more constables have been placed under suspension after a departmental inquiry was initiated by the DCP into fresh extortion allegations against a team of policemen from the Bengaluru East division. Recently a sub-inspector of police, a head constable and two constables from Pulikeshi Nagar Police Station were suspended based on allegations of illegally detaining a suspect in a cheating case for about 36 hours at the station and attempting to extort Rs 15 lakh from him.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, East, Bheemashankar Guled had said that CCTV footage procured from the police station had proved the allegations against PSI Ruman Pasha, Head Constable Lepakshappa and constables Lakshman and Girish Kumar. Sources from the police on Sunday said that two more constables, Sanaullah and Nasrullah were also suspended taking the number of suspended officers to six so far.

The allegations surfaced after the team of cops had illegally detained a suspect in connection with the rice pulling racket in Pulikeshi Nagar police station limits on March 20. However the inquiry was not registered in the police register. After he was released, the suspect registered a complaint alleging extortion from the team of cops. The complaint came to the notice of the Karnataka DG&IGP Praveen Sood who directed the DCP to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

Sources from the police said that an informant of the police had fallen prey to the rice-pulling scam and lost Rs 15 lakh to the accused. He approached one of the suspended cops for help and accordingly they brought the person to the police station to recover the lost money. Further investigation into the matter is underway