Parmesh S Jain
The case of the two constables who were arrested on January 13 for selling drugs has been handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for a detailed probe.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant took strong exception to the way the inspector of RT. Nagar and his junior handled the case.
He suspended them before initiating an inquiry against the duo while directing the CCB to conduct a detailed investigation into the case.
There are a lot of loopholes in the investigation by Inspector Ashwath Gowda to dilute the case. Though the seized amount of the drug was commercial quantity,the investigating officer booked the two constables under ‘consumer’ to help them get out on bail.
Moreover, the accused investigating officer Veerabhadra Swamy and Ashwath Gowda did not seek custody of the accused for questioning though it was an important case and needed in-depth investigation to ascertain their criminal background,”a senior police officer said .
The accused, Head Constable Shivakumar and Constable Santosh,were absent from duty for a long time.But,their seniors did not notice their absence,which amounts to a serious lapse.
This is one of the reasons why the DCP (VVIP security), in charge of security at the CM’s personal residence at RT. Nagar, has been issued a show cause notice, sources said .
Even the Southeast division DCP has also been issued a show cause notice for failing to check the background of the (arrested) policemen before deploying them in the security team of the CM.
The CCB is probing the criminal links of the accused constables and negligence on the part of their seniors.
Two policemen were arrested on January 13 for allegedly selling drugs while on security duty near the residence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on 80 feet road at R.T. Nagar. Police had said Head Constable Shivakumar and Constable Santosh, attached to Koramangala police station, were caught red-handed by a Hoysala patrol team with two peddlers.
Police had said that the two constables had 400 grams of marijuana in their possession at the time of their arrest.
Sources says the contraband was seized from Koramangala after taking the peddlers to their Koramangala house and recovered 10kgs of Ganja from their possession but the inspector, Ashwath Gowda and sub inspector, Veerbhadra Swamy diluted the FIR which helped the accused constable get bail in just 5 days.
As the detailed information is not mentioned in the FIR says senior counsel to media that it is a clear picture that the inspector has helped the accused to get bail as he has not mentioned the content they seized and details of the accused also not mentioned in the FIR and they booked them as consumer of drugs and diluted the case he added.
It is also alleged that before deploying the constable and head constable to CM’s security team police inspector,Ravi Kumar of Koramangala police station opposed their deployment and sent a detailed report to DCP Southeast,Srinath Mahadev Joshi stating the constable and head constable are involved in Criminal activities and anti social activities but the DCP dint take the note seriously and posted them to CM’s security team as high level source in the department said.
