KOCHI:In what could have been an episode straight from a crime thriller, City Police Deputy Commissioner Harisankar on Saturday did a ‘lungi-clad truck driver’ act to catch a fellow police officer red-handed while accepting bribe.
Panangad sub-inspector Sreekumar was trapped by Harisankar who came disguised as the driver of a national permit lorry registered in Tamil Nadu.
The DCP also seized Rs 10,000 from the sub-inspector as unaccounted money. Sreekumar has since been asked to go on compulsory leave.
The dramatic turn of events played out at Kumbalam toll plaza in the wee hours of Saturday. Harisankar has sent a report to the City Police Commissioner recommending departmental action against the official.
He is set to provide evidence for initiating a Vigilance probe against the sub-inspector.
P K Biju, driver of the police vehicle, is also allegedly involved in the case.
The DCP adopted the ploy of disguised act, following several complaints of police officials accepting bribe from drivers of ‘other-state’ lorries transporting M-sand to Kerala.
The DCP sought help from the driver of a Tamil Nadu lorry in the middle of the night. The driver, who agreed to the DCP’s plan, was given Rs 100 notes as part of the operation.
The DCP himself marked ‘DCP 1’, ‘DCP 2’ and ‘DCP 3’ on the currency notes, and recorded the statement of witnesses to establish that the notes were handed over by him.
Later, the DCP, along with the driver and a policeman, travelled in the lorry. It was Biju who waved the truck driver to the roadside. The DCP asked the lorry driver to stop the vehicle behind the police vehicle. Then the driver gave Rs 100 to the SI for allowing him to leave the spot.