BENGALURU: A police sub-inspector (PSI) attached to the Kaggalipura police station has been suspended for extorting Rs 1.6 lakh from a shop owner. The officer reportedly threatened the shop owner of filing a false case of issuing fake Aadhaar cards if the money was not given. The PSI, Harish, was suspended by the Bengaluru South district Superintendent of Police on Monday.
“The sub-inspector was suspended on Monday on charges of corruption,” R Srinivas Gowda, Superintendent of Police (SP), Bengaluru South district, said.
Rajesh, owner of a photocopy shop who was also running a juice centre in Kanakapura, is said to have given Rs 1.6 lakh to the sub-inspector. There were allegations that Rajesh was providing fake Aadhaar cards. Based on these allegations, the sub-inspector threatened to frame him and took the money from him on October 29. Since there was proper evidence against the sub-inspector, he was suspended following an inquiry.
“The shop owner had approached the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The incident happened when Harish was serving earlier at the Channapatna sub-division before being transferred to the Kaggalipura police station. The complainant is said to have given Rs one lakh in cash and the remaining money by scanning at a petrol bunk in Channapatna. The case is being investigated by a DySP rank officer,” said an officer.
After the incident came to light, photographs of a few policemen near Rajesh’s shop had gone viral. The shop owner had also approached the home minister in this regard and the SP was asked to look into the issue.
Further investigations are on.