Four transferred for extorting money from smuggler

The transferred policemen were identified as Sunny Lloyd, Anandraj, Rajasekaran and Ashok Kumar, who were attached to the Triplicane police station. According sources, the policemen threatened Shahul Hamid of Big Street in Triplicane, who used to smuggle electronic goods from Malaysia and sell them in the city.

Recently, constable Sunny Lloyd came to know about Shahul’s activities and went to the latter’s house along with Rajasekaran and Anandraj. They allegedly arm-twisted Shahul by threatening that they would arrest him and seize the electronic goods in his possession. Then they asked him to part with Rs 2 lakh in order to avoid any action.

Fearing arrest, Hamid sought a few days’ time to meet their demands, and using this opportunity, he shifted nearly 500 mobile phones and 90 laptops to a different place. When Sunny Lloyd returned with Rajasekaran, Anandraj and one more constable Ashok Kumar, Hamid allegedly argued with the police personnel maintaining that he was not doing anything illegal. However, the policemen allegedly made him pay Rs 80,000 not to book him.

Following this, Hamid lodged a complaint against the constables at the Triplicane police station, and the information reached senior officers. A case was registered and as a first step, the constables were transferred and asked to report at the control room as an inter-departmental action.

Senior officers said that appropriate action would be taken against the constables after the investigation was completed. Sources said that Sunny Lloyd has similar complaints against him when he was attached to the Elephant Gate police station and added that he was transferred to Triplicane for the same reason.

A day earlier, a crime inspector was transferred after four constables complained that the officer attempted to take away the jewels seized in connection with a burglary case.