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Home minister shielding errant cop: Probe report

Last Updated 21 October 2014, 20:23 IST

Despite orders by a City court, directions from the Centre and a missive from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Bangalore Police are yet to take action against a police inspector charged with extorting money from two Chinese nationals, besides supporting illegal transport of red sanders.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) N M  Nyamagouda, who probed the charges of extortion, has stated in his report that no action was initiated against Cubbon Park inspector Uday Bhaskar as he “enjoyed the blessings of the state home minister”.

A charge sheet was filed before the VIIIth ACMM Court on July 11, 2014, against Bhaskar for allegedly extorting money from a Chinese man and woman–Weng Ping and Zheng Xinghua–besides the illegal transport of red sanders.

The court directed the police to act against Bhaskar. Since its citizens were targeted, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi took up the matter with the Union Home Ministry, which directed the state government to probe the matter and act against the officials concerned.

 The ACP’s report further stated: “The department has not taken action against Uday Bhaskar as he has the blessings of the home minister.” A copy of ­­the report is with Deccan Herald.

The report also mentions that Bhaskar made repeated calls to “an influential minister, his son and a close associate of the son” and through them pressured the then police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar and additional commissioner (law and order) Kamal Pant not to take action.

According to sources, the minister’s son even threatened Auradkar and Pant that he would get them transfered if they acted against Bhaskar.

On December 18, four constables attached to Cubbon Park station, Vithal Kumar, Sudhakar, Kumar and Nara­sim­haraju took Weng Ping and Zheng Xinghua into custody from a star hotel on Bhaskar’s direction.
They seized a laptop, a watch, 300 Chinese Yen and 10 boxes of red sanders valued at Rs 10 lakh from the duo. The constables then demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh and threatened to book cases if they did not pay up.

The Chinese nationals then approached Cubbon Park sub-inspector (SI) Bharath on December 20. When the SI contacted Bhaskar, he told him not to entertain their plea and directed the SI against bringing the matter to the notice of higher authorities.

However, on being alerted, Nyamagouda spoke to the Chinese duo and registered a complaint. The ACP also recovered the materials taken by the constables and submitted a report to the DCP (Central), sources said.

Sources said that Bhaskar exerted pressure through the home minister and ensured that a criminal case was not registered against him. At a high-level meeting, Auradkar even expressed his helplessness in acting against Bhaskar.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy contacted the Union Home Ministry and objected to the Bangalore Police taking the Chinese woman into custody without the mandatory presence of a woman officer and also for taking her on a ride around the City late at night.

The Home Ministry expressed its displeasure to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who summoned Auradkar on February 2 and sought details.

A fuming Siddaramaiah, at the state-level IPS officers’ meeting on February 4, expressed displeasure over the issue and directed Home Minister K J George, who was present there, to act immediately. Eventually, a departmental inquiry was ordered against Bhaskar.

 

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(Published 21 October 2014, 20:23 IST)

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