More than a month after four police personnel, including an Inspector of Police and a Sub Inspector, were placed under suspension after the incident relating to ‘cash for cops’ broke out in the run up to the Assembly election, their suspension orders have been revoked enabling them to rejoin duty. The four police personnel were, however, yet to be given fresh postings, said police sources.
The case pertains to alleged bribing of police personnel in March-end ahead of the Assembly election with police teams seizing several covers containing cash at the Government Hospital police station and Thillai Nagar police station during searches conducted at both places. The incident led to suspension of six police personnel including Inspector of Police of Thillai Nagar station, a Sub Inspector of Government Hospital police station and two police personnel serving in the City Intelligence Section and tasked with looking after the Government Hospital police station and Thillai Nagar station.
The City Crime Branch had initially booked a case against five persons including a Special Sub Inspector attached to the Government Hospital police station and a woman Head Constable who served in Thillai Nagar police station and an advocate in connection with the alleged bribing of police personnel. The money, it was then alleged, was distributed on behalf of the DMK Tiruchi West Assembly constituency candidate K. N. Nehru. However, Mr. Nehru (now a Minister in the DMK Cabinet) had then dismissed the allegation levelled against him in a letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu. He had stating in his letter that it was an attempt to defame him. The case was subsequently transferred to the Crime Branch CID on the orders of the Director General of Police.
As a sequel to the incident, the Election Commission had ordered the transfer of the then Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi J. Loganathan. It also ordered suspension of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Golden Rock, Tamilmaran, for “serious dereliction of duty”.
Police sources said the suspension orders issued against the four police personnel were revoked based on their individual representations. However, the suspension order issued against the two other police personnel against whom the case was booked were yet to be revoked, the sources further said.
