Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jun 19: In a severe breach of law enforcement integrity, a CID inspector is on the run after his official vehicle and police credentials were used to extort Rs 20 lac from youths hailing from Kerala.
The audacious robbery unfolded near a private hotel in Madiwala. A group of men, arriving in a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) jeep, intercepted the victims. Flashing official police identity cards, the gang intimidated the youths, accusing them of carrying cash for illegal money trading, and confiscated the funds. Fortunately, the victims managed to discreetly record a video of the extortion before heading to the Madiwala police station to lodge a formal complaint.
Arrest exposes police link
Acting swiftly, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Mohammad Sujeetha launched a probe that led to the arrest of a civilian involved in the crime. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that a CID officer, identified as Inspector Mahesh Kanakagiri, was waiting inside the official jeep while the civilian accomplices executed the shakedown inside the hotel.
Following this revelation, authorities immediately impounded the CID inspector's assigned jeep and successfully recovered the extorted Rs 20 lac. Inspector Kanakagiri switched off his mobile phone as soon as the case was registered and remains at large. The Madiwala assistant commissioner of police (ACP) has taken charge of the investigation to determine the exact extent of the inspector's presence and involvement at the crime scene.
Top brass confirms investigation
Addressing the developments, city police commissioner Seemant Kumar confirmed the sequence of events. "We received a complaint late last night regarding individuals who trespassed into a hotel room, posed as police officers, and extorted cash from the occupants. We have credible information pointing to the involvement of a police inspector, and an active investigation is underway," he stated.
The commissioner further noted that while the looted cash has been retrieved and the department vehicle seized, a comprehensive manhunt has been launched to apprehend the rogue officer. Simultaneously, investigators are running a background check on the complainants from Kerala to ascertain the source and intended purpose of the recovered cash.