CHENNAI: Police department has suspended armed reserve head constable Praveen Kumar for his alleged role in a bribery case in which his wife, working as a special tahsildar, has been arrested.
P Saroja, who was on deputation to the Chennai Corporation, had allegedly asked for a bribe of Rs 1 crore from activist Pon Thangavel who had come to her to clear encroachments from ECR. She had initially asked him to collect a sum of Rs 1 crore from property owners near the site saying that the value of their property would rise several fold once the encroachments are removed. Later she had reduced the sum to Rs 3 lakh, and Pon Thangavel alerted the DVAC.
Saroja asked Arun Kumar, a constable at St Thomas Mount station, to receive the money from Thangavel and hand it over to Praveen Kumar. DVAC arrested Arun Kumar and Saroja. Police suspended Praveen on Friday and is on his lookout.