Pramesh S Jain
In yet another embarrassment for Bengaluru police,a head constable attached to the Cyber Crime police station has been accused of stealing Rs.11 lakh belonging to a suspect during an interrogation inside the Police Commissioner’s Office premises.
According to police sources,the incident surfaced after an accused in a cyber-crime case,who had recently secured bail,realised that a bag containing cash kept in his car had gone missing.
The suspect had allegedly kept around ₹11 lakh in the vehicle when he was taken in for questioning by the Cyber Crime police team.
When the man was released on bail and returned to retrieve his belongings,he found the cash missing and questioned the Cyber Crime police.
This led to an internal verification, during which CCTV footage reportedly revealed that head constable Zabivulla had removed the cash-filled bag from the car.
The stolen money is said to have been used by the officer to buy jewellery for his wife.During a search at his residence,police recovered bundles of cash hidden under the bed.
The head constable is also said to have returned around ₹2 lakh,while the remaining amount is yet to be recovered.
Following a complaint filed with CCB,DCP,Raja Imam Kasim,a team raided Zabivulla’s residence,during which he allegedly created a scene and obstructed the search.
This is the latest in a series of misconduct cases involving police personnel in the city.Recently,a constable attached to Govindapura was arrested in the Siddapura ATM Van robbery case, and two JP Nagar police personnel were suspended for allegedly extorting money from a senior citizen.
Bellandur police were also accused of collecting money from a family in a death case.
The Cyber Crime police have initiated further action against head constable Zabivulla,and a departmental inquiry is on.
