Alleged extortion of ₹2.51 crore: Police officer placed under suspension

K.A. Suresh Babu, Assistant Commissioner of Police with the Kozhikode City Traffic (North), has been placed under suspension as part of the continuing investigation into a multi-crore financial extortion case registered against him along with two others at Kollam East police station on February 15, 2025.

The suspension order was issued by the Ministry of Home on June 18, 2025 after he was booked as the prime accused under Sections 316(2) [criminal breach of trust], 318(4) [cheating], 3(5) [common intention in criminal activity] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. His wife V.P. Nusrath and friend Balachandra Kurup are the other two suspects who were booked as the second and third accused in the case. 

The complaint filed by Kollam native and businessman Abdul Salam alleged that Mr. Babu, while working as the Deputy Superintendent of Police with the Cooperative Vigilance wing in Thrissur district, secured 2.51 crore from him with the support of the second and third accused to stop a major bank recovery action of his properties worth ₹52 crore.

He claimed in the petition that the amount was transferred to the account of the second accused following the police officer’s promise that a reduced final settlement amount would be arrived at in six months to save him from the ₹52-crore recovery measures initiated by a private bank in Thrissur following a failed multi-crore overdraft repayment. However, he breached the promise and declined to give back the fund, the complainant alleged.

The suspension order was issued based on a report from the State Police Chief to the Ministry of Home with an observation that the incident spoiled the image of the Police Department. His continuation in service in another district even while facing criminal charges was also found inapt in the preliminary investigation report. Sources said a special internal investigation team would be constituted soon to check all the allegations against the senior police officer and proceed with further department level actions, if required.