Karnataka cop 'steals' Rs 10 lakh from seized amount, arrested

The policeman has been identified as Mahendra Gowda, a head constable attached to the Chandra Layout police station. One more person in connection with the case has been arrested

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Bengaluru: A Karnataka policeman has been arrested on charges of keeping Rs 10 lakh for himself while seizing Rs 50 lakh in Bengaluru, police said on Sunday. The policeman has been identified as Mahendra Gowda, a head constable attached to the Chandra Layout police station. According to the police, the accused committed the crime during his patrolling duty. The seized money belonged to Lingesh, a real estate agent and farmer from Ramapura village in Channapatna town.

He told police that as per his friend`s advice he had brought the money, which was in the denomination of Rs 2,000 notes to the city to exchange in smaller denomination. His friend, Dinesh, had informed him that Rs 2,000 currency notes would be banned and advised him to change the denomination to Rs 500 for a 10 per cent commission, police said.

Lingesh came to Bengaluru with Rs 50 lakh cash in his car. He reached the Jananabharthi campus of Bengaluru University as per the advice of persons who came to exchange the currency notes. After reaching Jananabharthi campus, they went to the Chandra Layout locality for the exchange of money.

Meanwhile, Gowda, who came there, got suspicious and searched the car to find the huge cash. He threatened them that he would seize all the money and took Rs 10 lakh from the amount. Later, the accused seized the car and maintained that Rs 40 lakh had been seized from the vehicle in documents. However, Lingesh lodged a complaint in this regard.

The preliminary investigations showed that the head constable had taken the money. following which he was arrested. The police have arrested one more person in connection with the case. His role is yet to come out. The police have said that they would conduct a detailed inquiry on the exchange of currency notes. Further investigation is going on.