ACB raids ACP, inspectors accused of extortion

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted simultaneous raids on the residences and offices of an assistant commissioner of police and two inspectors, who were all suspended on bribery charges. It also raided a rowdy-sheeter and a real estate agent, who had allegedly received the kickbacks on behalf of the officers.

Prabhushankar M, an ACP in the Central Crime Branch (CCB), and inspectors Ajay R M and Niranjan Kumar are accused of extorting lakhs of rupees from tobacco dealers to let them operate during the earlier phase of the lockdown when it was illegal to sell tobacco products.

The raids were launched on Prabhushankar’s Sahakaranagar residence, Ajay’s home in HRBR Layout, Kumar’s residence in Basaveshwara Nagar and their offices at the CCB headquarters on Cottonpet Main Road. The ACB also raided the house of rowdy-sheeter Babu Rajendra Prasad in Yelahanka New Town, real estate agent Bhushan’s house and offices in Yelahanka New Town and tobacco dealer Adil Aziz Khan’s residence in Shanthinagar. None of them was present during the raid.

“We have seized some documents. Details can be shared only after the raids get over and we are done with questioning all the suspects and their family members,” a senior ACB officer said.

Another ACB officer said that since the suspects were policemen, they appeared to have found “ways” to come out unscathed during the raids.

On May 21, the ACB had registered three FIRs against the ACP, the inspectors, the history-sheeter and the realtor. This came days after the police announced the corruption charges against the officers.

The fiasco emerged after Khan complained to the city police chief, Bhaskar Rao, that Prabhushankar and Ajay had extorted money from him and other tobacco dealers. Separately, the ACP and Kumar are accused of extorting Rs 13 lakh from a dealer of fake N95 masks to get him off the hook in a case registered at the Banaswadi police station.

Internal inquiries conducted by DCPs Kuldeep Kumar Jain (Crime-1) and Ravi Kumar K P (Crime 2) found that the allegations were true. Police recovered Rs 30 lakh from the officers. They also registered two extortion cases against them at the Cottonpet police station. Prabhushankar has obtained anticipatory bail in the extortion cases.