Police inspector, 3 constables, accused of robbery in Chikkamagaluru

The accused took ₹5 lakh from a Davangere-based jewellery merchant in May this year

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A police inspector and three constables attached to Ajjampura Police Station in Chikkamagaluru have been accused of robbing a businessman of ₹5 lakh. The accused allegedly stopped the Davangere-based businessman near Bukkambudi in Ajjampura police limits on May 11 this year and took the money from him.

The accused are Lingaraju, CPI of Ajjampura, and constables – Dhanpal Nail, Onkar Murthy and Sharath Raj.

Bhagavan Sankla, 46, a jewellery merchant, filed the complaint directly to Chikkamagaluru SP on July 21. After a preliminary enquiry on the complaint, the SP instructed the police to register the case on November 17.

The complainant said he was on his way to Belur in Hassan district to hand over the jewellery to a local seller on May 11, when his car was stopped by the police near Bukkambudi. The accused got into his car and took the gold jewellery bag weighing 2 kg and 450 grams. Even after the merchant stated that he had GST bills to support the ornaments he was carrying the police accused him of carrying gold illegally. They threatened him with filing a case and demanded ₹ 10 lakh to avoid facing a case. Though he had all documents related to the jewellery, he was forced to pay ₹5 lakh in cash. With the help of a jewellery merchant in Ajjampura he arranged the cash, which the police took and let him go.

Later, the complainant shared details of the incident with his son and other relatives, who suggested he file a complaint. However, he could not report to the police immediately as he had to rush to Rajasthan, where his aunt’s health was critical. His aunt died on May 15 and the complainant returned to Davangere on July 15, after completing all the rituals.

“Initially I hesitated to file the complaint as the accused had threatened to harm the business if I filed a complaint. In the meanwhile, I had to go to Rajasthan for personal reasons. Later I filed the complaint as per suggestion by a few friends”, Bhagavan Sankla told The Hindu. He had filed a complaint directly to the previous SP, who was transferred within a week later. “Again I submitted the complaint to the present SP (Uma Prashanth). She took it seriously and enquired into the case and ordered for registering the case”, he said.

Further, the complainant said that a relative of the main accused, Lingaraju, had requested him to withdraw the case, assuring him of returning the money he lost.