JOIN USBengaluru: Row erupts after ACP suspended for arresting liquor transporters
An assistant commissioner of police (ACP) has been suspended after he allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh to release two men who were transporting over 100 bottles of high-brand liquor in southern Bengaluru two weeks ago.
But there’s a twist in the tale. The ACP has pointed the finger at a senior officer, accusing him of shielding the suspects.
On April 11, Vasu, ACP, Electronics City, tailed a GST emergency car on suspicion that it was transporting liquor in violation of the lockdown. He stopped the Tata Sumo on Bettadasanapura Main Road near Electronics City and found eight cartons containing more than 100 high-brand liquor bottles inside.
According to Vasu, he seized the liquor and detained the two men travelling in the car: Vishesha Gupta and Gopi. When the duo was brought to the police station, they claimed to “personally know” several senior police officers.
Gupta even claimed that two of the eight cartons of alcohol were meant to be delivered to Additional Commissioner of Police (East) S Murugan, the second-in-command in the city police hierarchy.
Vasu suggested that Gupta also offered a bribe for releasing him but that he (Vasu) didn’t fall for it and went on to register an FIR at the Electronics City police station. Gupta was subsequently placed in custody.
Vasu claimed that the next day, Murugan called him to the Madiwala police station and asked him to release Gupta and Gopi. Vasu said he told Murugan that an FIR had been registered and that the men were in custody. Murugan then asked him whether the sections invoked were bailable. When he said yes, Murugan asked him to release the duo on bail.
Upon his release, Gupta complained to Murugan that Vasu had demanded a bribe of Rs 50 lakh through a police constable named Janardhan and threatened to book him if the demand wasn’t met.
Vasu said Murugan recommended his suspension on the basis of Vasu’s testimony. The ACP accused the senior police officer of recommending his suspending after he refused to obey his order to release the suspects.
DH tried to contact Murugan for comment but he was not available.