Karnataka inspector suspended for 'misusing' Rs 75 lakh seized in theft case

Bengaluru: Bidadi police inspector GK Shankar Naik was suspended for allegedly misusing an estimated Rs 75 lakh recovered in a theft case. The suspension order was issued by Inspector General of Police (Central) BR Ravikanthe Gowda.

According to police sources, Naik, who was the police inspector at the Byatarayanapura station in 2022, had recovered Rs 75 lakh from a man who allegedly stole it from a businessman, despite the crime occurring outside his jurisdiction. Even after his transfer from the Byatarayanapura station in January this year, he had allegedly failed to deposit the money or return it to the complainant. 

Naik returned the money in February this year after receiving several notices, the sources said, adding that the initial recovered amount was in Rs 500 denomination, but the sum returned by Naik contained several Rs 100 and Rs 200 denomination notes.

A case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) found that Naik had also sought a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from the businessman to return the sum.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru police is probing the charges.