KOCHI: The police have registered a cheating case against the assistant sub inspector of Ernakulam North police station who was suspended for allegedly demanding a bribe from the parents of two missing girls. The fresh case has been registered at Maradu police station for cheating a four-star hotel manager in Vyttila promising to provide an electricity generator in 2018.
As per the FIR, the first accused in the case is ASI Vinod Krishna of Ernakulam North police station and the second accused is Anish who runs a shop named Cochin Tech at Deshabhimani Road, Kaloor. The complainant, Anilkumar Ponnuswamy, is the manager of the hotel in Vyttila. A quotation was given by Cochin Tech on August 8, 2018, to supply a generator for Rs 16.91 lakh. From August 13, 2018, to February 4, 2019, the full amount was transferred to the bank account in five instalments. However, the generator is yet to be supplied.
According to Anilkumar, it was through one of his friends that Vinod became his acquaintance. “It was Vinod who approached me with a deal to supply the generator. Even though the agreement was for a 10% advance payment and the rest of the amount after the delivery, the entire amount was paid on trusting Vinod. We thought Vinod was having a partnership in the firm. Anish is yet to say that he cannot deliver the generator. But it has been almost 3.5 years since the agreement was made. With no further hope, we lodged a complaint based on which a case was registered,” he said.
However, Anilkumar doesn’t know the status of the case. The FIR was registered on January 7 this year and Anilkumar’s statement was recorded. He is not yet informed about any further action taken against the accused persons.
Last week when TNIE spoke with Kochi City Police Deputy Commissioner Kuriakose V U, he said he is monitoring the case. “The investigation is on and we are checking the involvement of the police official. The missing girls’ case is under the consideration of the Kerala High Court. Further action will be taken as per the court’s directive,” he said.
It was in October last year that the High court initiated the suo motu case that a family from Delhi residing in Kochi was being harassed by the police by demanding Rs 5 lakh for tracing their missing daughters. Initially probed as a missing person case, it later turned out to be a Pocso case. The High Court had appointed an amicus curiae to conduct an inquiry.
Another report filed by the Kochi City Police Commissioner at the High Court on the incident stated that the police officers involved had not availed the railway warrant or the travel allowance they were entitled to for travelling to Delhi. On the contrary, they travelled at the expense of the girls’ family. The ASI had accepted around Rs 17,000 and used the amount for travel and lodging for himself and the other officers, the report said.