The incident happened a few days ago after a man lodged a complaint at Triplicane station about his stolen two-wheeler. After the bike was traced he was trying to get it through the police when he received a call from a policeman claiming to be from the crime section. The caller told the complainant that the bike will be returned if the latter pays Rs 6,000.

A few days after making the payment, the complainant called the cop again when the latter asked him for another Rs 7,000.

Frustrated, the petitioner approached the deputy commissioner’s office in Triplicane where he briefed a sub-inspector about the incident. After an inquiry, it was found that a policeman attached to the intelligence section had collected the money by posing as a crime wing cop. As soon as he realised that he’s exposed, the accused cop returned the money.

It is not clear if the incident has been brought to the notice of the top brass in the city police. When contacted, a senior officer promised that he would look into the matter.