PATNA: Police in Bihar's Saran district set an example by arresting a sub-inspector of police posted as station house officer (SHO) on the charges of duping a businessman of Rs 32 lakh in cash and also threatening him of forwarding him to jail.
Superintendent of police, Saran, Kumar Ashish suspended SHO of Maker police station Ravindra Kumar and initiated departmental proceedings after the allegations against him were found true. "The erring SHO has already been taken into custody," he said.
The SP said that efforts were on to arrest driver Anil Kumar Singh, who managed to escape after he came to know about action against the SHO concerned. "The driver will be arrested soon," Kumar Ashish said, adding that nobody would be spared. The SP swung into action after Rohan Kumar, a local trader, complained to him alleging that the SHO and driver of Maker police station took away a bag containing Rs.32 lakh when he was on his way to Muzaffarpur from Saran for business purposes.
He told the SP that he was carrying Rs.64 lakh in cash in two separate bags each containing Rs.32 lakh. The police officials stopped him near Reva Ghat bridge on the pretext of searching for illegal arms and liquor in the vehicle.
After noticing huge money in the bags, the police officers sought to know the purpose of carrying the cash with him. "I explained to them that I am a businessman and going to Muzaffarpur for business purposes," he told the police chief. The SHO and the driver, however, threatened to book him in a false case. After much persuasion, they returned one bag and kept the other one with them.
"My repeated pleas to return the bag containing money fell on deaf ears," Rohan said. The incident happened on January 10. On receiving the complaint, SP Kumar Ashish asked the DSP, Marhaura, to inquire into the matter and submit a report. "The allegations against the SHO and the driver were found true," Ashish said. An FIR has been lodged at Maker police station in connection with the incident.
The SP said that those involved in illegal activities would not be spared. On the other hand, policemen performing well will be suitably rewarded, he added.