The Organised Crime Wing of the Crime Branch is all set to arraign nine policemen in the Nedumbassery Human trafficking case.
These police officers are under suspension for assisting people travel abroad without proper documents from the Cochin International Airport Ltd. The department is also planning disciplinary action against two SPs and four DySPs.
According to sources in the Crime Branch, they have sought permission of the Home Department for arraigning the policemen.
“Currently a case has been registered against three persons including two policemen and one airline agent.
“The Director General of Police (DGP) had directed that legal procedures have to be completed before the case is handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Once the written permission is received from Police Headquarters, we would file a report at Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate for arraigning them,”sources said.
Once the criminal charges are filed, Crime Branch will proceed to arrest the officers. The disciplinary action against SPs and DySPs would also be taken soon.
“Vigilance Department is also likely to probe the assets purchased with the money allegedly received as bribe. We expect the CBI to take over the case within a period of one month,” a police official said. The Police Headquarters had issued suspension orders to the following police officers last week: A A Ashraf, Circle Inspector, Coastal Police Station, Thottapally, AH Safir, Junior Sub-Inspector, Mannancheri Police Station, S Samjith, Kerala Armed Police, Pathanamthitta, M K Babu, Kerala Armed Police, Thrissur, C S Biju, Kerala Armed Police, Palakkad, Muhammad Hanifa, Sub-Inspector, Mundakayam, Kottayam, EK Kunju Ahmed, Armed Reserve Police, Kottayam Prasanth Kumar, Civil Police Officer, Mathilakam Police Station, Thrissur, and Sunil Kumar, Civil Police Officer, Kochi.
The human trafficking incident first came to light after an Assistant Commandant with the Immigration Wing of Nedumbasserry airport, conducted an inquiry and filed a report against Ajeeb, a civil police officer for having links with travel agents.
Later, the case was handed over to the Crime Branch officials who arrested Ajeeb. On the basis of information provided by Ajeeb, the crime branch found that several high level police officers including the Assistant Commandant of Immigration Wing, who conducted the inquiry against Ajeeb, were assisting agents for trafficking people from Nedumbassery Airport. Two SPs who are allegedly involved in the case have been identified as Bhuvanachandran and Jamaludeen.