Yogesh K Porwar
Close to the heel of Central Crime Branch (CCB) police busting an extortion racket involving a constable attached to Internal Security Division earlier this month, an Assistant Sub Inspector and a Hoysala driver have confessed to extorting Rs.75,000 from migrant worker and his family in Varthur in July.
On Friday they returned the money,following an inquiry by the Deputy Commissioner of Police,Whitefield Division, in Bengaluru.
The duo identified as Ganesh and Prabhu,along with their associate,had barged into the house of Lalchand Sheikh,a native of West Bengal and working as school van driver,accused him of being a Bangladesh national, and detained him on the charges of illegal immigration and creating fake documents in the first week of July.
According to senior police official,the accused demanded Rs.75,000 for his release from the parents who tried to reason with him.
Sajira,mother of Lalchand,who worked as domestic help, arranged the money and transferred online to one of the accused to get her son released.
KSHRC’s role :
The victim,with the help of a social activist,approached Karnataka State Human Rights Commission and brought it to the notice of the DCP,Whitefield.
The DCP ordered a probe and summoned the accused who confessed and returned the money.The matter was referred to the jurisdictional Assistant Commissioner of Police for a detailed probe,a senior police officer said.
Transfer sought :
R.Kaleemullah,city-based activist, who is one of the complainants in the case,had requested the DCP to take necessary measures to ensure the migrant labourers are not harassed by the accused officials.
“I have requested the officials to transfer the accused police personnel to different station to avoid further harassment, as majority of the migrant labourers living in and around Whitefield area are living in the shadow of fear.“
Meanwhile,the KSHRC is awaiting response from the DCP.According to sources,the two police personnel who have confessed to taking the bribe and returned the money, can be booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The KSHRC officials will summon the complainant and record his statement in this regard,sources said.
