TIRUCHY: The Thanjavur police on Friday arrested a police inspector from Dharmapuri for threatening and taking Rs 1 crore from an auditor from Kumbakonam by claiming to be the relative of a district collector.
According to police, the state government had sanctioned Rs 465 crore for a check dam across Kollidam at Kulasekaranallur near Thiruvidaimaruthur in Thanjavur and had acquired land for it.
Among the land owners, Ravichandran (68), an auditor from Ramasamy Kovil street in Kumbakonam was disbursed Rs 54 lakh for 80 cents in 2020. However, Ravichandran chopped 30 teak trees without permission.
Revenue officials seized 3 tonnes of teakwood when they were being loaded onto a truck and handed over the truck and timber to the Kumbakonam RDO.
Ravichandran approached his friend Napoleon (45) of Ariyalur, currently working as an inspector of Investigative Unit of Crime Against Women, Dharmapuri, for help. Napoleon demanded Rs 1 crore for protecting Ravichandran from further action. He also claimed to be related to a district collector.
Ravichandran paid him in three instalments. Napoleon reportedly demanded more money. When Ravichandran could not pay, Napoleon threatened him, and a frustrated Ravichandran lodged a complaint with the Thanjavur SP on March 8.
On late Thursday, a special team rushed to Thoppur, Dharmapuri, and nabbed Napoleon when he was receiving Rs 5 lakh from Ravichandran. He was produced before a court and is lodged in the Pudukkottai prison.