DVAC to probe cop for taking ₹2L bribe to solve theft case
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.10.2019
An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) who worked with the central crime branch (CCB) of Coimbatore police is in a soup for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹2 lakh from a businessman. The bribe was to speed up investigation in a theft case of gold worth ₹75 lakh reported in October 2017. The ACP had returned ₹1 lakh of the bribe amount.
These details formed parts of an FIR registered by the state’s corruption wing, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) this month against the cop, T Somasekar, and his advocate friend P Vivekanandan. The investigation was headed by DSP C Rajesh of the agency’s Coimbatore wing.
According to a confidential inquiry conductedby DVAC,on October 12, 2017, L Thiyagarajan, founder and managing director of Swarnakalash Jewels in Coimbatore, reported to the Saibaba ColonyPolice Station the theft of 2kg of 22 carat gold jewellery and 200gm of 24 carat gold when he was travelling on a bus. The police station was under Somasekar’s administrative control then.
The DVAC said over a period of five or six meetings, Somasekar assured Thiyagarajan to expedite investigation of the case. The ACP had allegedly demanded a bribe for the same, saying the suspects were from differentstates. Thebribe amountfirstdemanded was ₹1 lakh, which was paid with a promise to solve the case within 100 days. The stolen property was tobe returnedthroughthecourt. The DVAC says on December 5 that year, Thiyagarajan gave ₹1 lakh to Vivekanandan based on instructions from Somasekar, who had come to the spot in his official jeep.
After a few days, Thiyagarajan contacted Somasekar astherewas no progress in the case, when another ₹1 lakh was demanded. The DVAC says Thiyagarajan agreed to pay it, once again unwillingly. The second paymentwas madeon December 23,2017, in a textile shop, where the bribe amount was used to settle a bill for 15 pants bought by Somasekar, the DVAC says.
The agency said the businessman travelled to states like Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with investigating officials to assist them in recovering the stolen gold. Several accused were arrested but the loot was not recovered.
Frustrated, Thiyagarajan demanded that Somasekar return the bribe, the DVAC says. The latter returned ₹1 lakh in October 2018. The rest of the amount has not been returned yet, the DVAC said. Based on an inquiry, the DVAC has registered a case.
DVAC is probing an assistant commissioner of police who worked with the central crime branch, Coimbatore, for taking the money to expedite inquiry into a gold theft case
Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com
Chennai:29.10.2019
An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) who worked with the central crime branch (CCB) of Coimbatore police is in a soup for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹2 lakh from a businessman. The bribe was to speed up investigation in a theft case of gold worth ₹75 lakh reported in October 2017. The ACP had returned ₹1 lakh of the bribe amount.
These details formed parts of an FIR registered by the state’s corruption wing, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) this month against the cop, T Somasekar, and his advocate friend P Vivekanandan. The investigation was headed by DSP C Rajesh of the agency’s Coimbatore wing.
According to a confidential inquiry conductedby DVAC,on October 12, 2017, L Thiyagarajan, founder and managing director of Swarnakalash Jewels in Coimbatore, reported to the Saibaba ColonyPolice Station the theft of 2kg of 22 carat gold jewellery and 200gm of 24 carat gold when he was travelling on a bus. The police station was under Somasekar’s administrative control then.
The DVAC said over a period of five or six meetings, Somasekar assured Thiyagarajan to expedite investigation of the case. The ACP had allegedly demanded a bribe for the same, saying the suspects were from differentstates. Thebribe amountfirstdemanded was ₹1 lakh, which was paid with a promise to solve the case within 100 days. The stolen property was tobe returnedthroughthecourt. The DVAC says on December 5 that year, Thiyagarajan gave ₹1 lakh to Vivekanandan based on instructions from Somasekar, who had come to the spot in his official jeep.
After a few days, Thiyagarajan contacted Somasekar astherewas no progress in the case, when another ₹1 lakh was demanded. The DVAC says Thiyagarajan agreed to pay it, once again unwillingly. The second paymentwas madeon December 23,2017, in a textile shop, where the bribe amount was used to settle a bill for 15 pants bought by Somasekar, the DVAC says.
The agency said the businessman travelled to states like Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with investigating officials to assist them in recovering the stolen gold. Several accused were arrested but the loot was not recovered.
Frustrated, Thiyagarajan demanded that Somasekar return the bribe, the DVAC says. The latter returned ₹1 lakh in October 2018. The rest of the amount has not been returned yet, the DVAC said. Based on an inquiry, the DVAC has registered a case.
DVAC is probing an assistant commissioner of police who worked with the central crime branch, Coimbatore, for taking the money to expedite inquiry into a gold theft case
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