Two women police inspectors booked for taking bribe

COIMBATORE: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against two women police inspectors for allegedly threatening and taking a bribe from a financier.The suspects are K Mallika, currently serving as inspector of police SB-CID in Tirupur city, and J Kalaiarasi, currently working in Villupuram district. Both were previously working in the Coimbatore city police.According to DVAC officials, P Chithra, who was residing at P N Palayam in the city and is currently in Cuddalore, received a call from the city crime branch to attend an inquiry regarding a cheating complaint lodged against her by Santhosh Kumar.

Chithra and her daughter went to the city crime branch police station for the interrogation. During the inquiry, police personnel, under the instruction of inspectors Mallika and Kalaiarasi, allegedly harassed Chithra and her daughter and demanded a bribe to dismiss the case.Since Chithra refused to give the bribe, the police allegedly threatened her, stating that if she did not give the money they demanded, they would use their authority to file an FIR against her and have her remanded in jail.

Following this, Chithra filed a complaint with the National Women's Commission. However, Mallika and Kalaiarasi allegedly coerced her into paying Rs 8 lakh as a bribe and demanded more. Subsequently, the police conducted a house search and seized 375 sovereigns of gold, documents, and other valuables from her house.

Of the 375 sovereigns of gold, only 20% was reportedly produced before the court, with the remainder allegedly shared among themselves.Chithra filed a complaint with DVAC officials on Oct 9, prompting them to register an FIR against both inspectors. An investigation is currently under way.