BENGALURU: A day after two constables attached to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's security at his residence were caught over an alleged bid to extort two drug peddlers, City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant suspended the RT Nagar Inspector and Sub-Inspector for failing to probe the case in detail.
Police Inspector Ashwath Gowda and Sub-Inspector Veerabhadra were investigating the case and tried to
safeguard the accused -- police head constable Shivakumar and Constable Santosh Naukar, attached to Koramangala police station, who were caught red handed by a Hoysala team with two peddlers near chief minister’s residence.
They were allegedly trying to extort money from the peddlers after getting a whiff of their drug peddling activities, which were known to their immediate senior police officials. Inspector Gowda and Veerabhadra failed to discuss the case with the senior police officers and had to take the two policemen into police custody as it was a case under Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Besides, the two arrested constables were also suspected of peddling drugs. As there was clear negligence on the part of the inspector and SI, they were suspended, a senior police officer said.
Pant also issued show-cause notices to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (South East), Srinath Joshi, and DCP VVIP Security Manjunath Babu. The notice was served to Joshi seeking explanation on what procedure was followed while deploying the two accused policemen for chief minister's security.
The notice to Babu sought details on whether there had been any lapses or negligence in security arrangements for the Chief Minister from his side.
The incident has embarrassed the Home Department because of the involvement of police personnel, that too among those deployed for the security of the chief minister.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday reacted angrily, stating that the department will not tolerate such incidents and stringent action would be taken against policemen involved in crimes. The department is also contemplating dismissing the accused personnel as they are a blemish to the entire police force, the Home Minister told the media.