BHOPAL: Two cops on duty snatched Rs 5 lakh from the employees of a diamond trader in Bhopal on Saturday night.
The accused cops, posted at the Ayodhya Nagar police station, threatened the two employees who were carrying Rs 26 lakh, and snatched Rs 5 lakh from them.
The incident occurred near Minal Residency under Ayodhya Nagar police station. The accused policemen, Sumit Baghel and Vinod Rawat, have been placed under suspension and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against them.
The victims were moving towards Minal Residency on a two-wheeler when the accused signalled them to stop. They checked their bag and found a big amount of money inside. After question of the employees, the accused threatened the victims of framing them in a false case. However, they took Rs 5 lakh for letting them go.
Later, the cops gave Rs 3 lakh to their SHO Pawan Sen and narrated a false story before him.
They told the SHO that they found two youths moving in a suspicious manner on a two-wheeler sans a registration number. As they were carrying a bag, they searched it and found a large amount of money inside. The youths gave them Rs 3 lakh and fled.
However, the SHO did not believe their story and he informed senior officials about the incident.
As the police began a probe their theory fell flat. It was found that they had threatened the two youths and had taken Rs 5 lakh to let them go. They hid Rs 2 lakh in house of Rawat and gave Rs 3 lakh to the SHO.
Sen said that he recorded the details in their daily register and informed senior officials. He later visited the spot and sought CCTV footage from the area but no such incident was seen in any of the footages.
Later, the police received a call from diamond trader Dhirubai from Gujarat who also runs a business in Bhopal. His representatives reached police station and lodged a complaint of loot.
As the records were matched, Sen found the two victims Kishan Jala (18) and Ronak Singh Dewda (23) were moving on a two-wheeler that bore a registration number. They were carrying the money as they had to deposit it in one of their branches.
Additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rajesh Singh Bhadauriya said the cops are under suspension and once he gets the departmental inquiry report, further action will be taken against them.
