Bengaluru, Jul 30 (IANS): The Karnataka Police have suspended a woman inspector and three other policemen on charges of extorting money from a couple after threatening them with a case and imprisonment.

Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood has issued orders in this regard and kept Renuka, the inspector attached to the CEN police station in Whitefield division. Her colleagues, who turned partners in the crime -- sub-inspectors Naveen, Ganesh, constable Hemanth Amana -- were suspended by the Commissioner of Police Kamal Pant, police said on Friday.

The action has been taken after the submission of an investigation report by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), which will continue the investigation in the case.

All the accused were charged with allegedly demanding Rs 10 lakh from the complainant and his wife after threatening them that they would be jailed in a case of nonpayment of money.

The couple V.V. Sudeep and his wife Shwetha Singh, who are into interior designing were summoned to the police station on July 16. He had approached the police for incomplete work in spite of payment of money.

Inspector Renuka, sub-inspector threatened the couple and managed to get Rs 5 lakh forcefully. The couple were also forced to pay Rs 5 lakh to their client.

Even after this, sub-inspector Naveen made calls demanding Rs 5 lakh more. At this stage, the couple had lodged a complaint with call recordings in the ACB. Sources say that inspector Renuka had taken charge as inspector in the CEN police station only two days before the incident happened.