Cops turn robbers in Belgaum

Four policemen including a sub inspector of police were arrested in Belgaum on Sunday after they made a vain bid to kidnap and extort money from jewellers transporting silver ornaments to Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

According to Superintendent of Belgaum district police Hemant Nimbalkar, the cops, who were patrolling the Pune-Bangalore national highway, intercepted a Toyota Qualis vehicle at Kakti about 8 kms from Belgaum around 11 pm and during the search found 116 kgs of silver ornaments in the vehicle.

Though the driver of the vehicle Shakeel informed the cops that he was transporting the consignment of silver jewellery from Salem in Tamil Nadu to Kolhapur in Maharashtra through valid documents, the policemen asked the driver and his accomplice to cough up Rs 2 million to allow the vehicle to proceed.

When the driver expressed his inability to pay and said the consignment belonged to jeweller Shah Dhanchand Oswal, the cops took possession of the vehicle and brought into the Belgaum City. Next, they made the driver Shakeel call Oswal over his cell phone and inform him about the demand for money by the police.

An alarmed Oswal informed Belgaum Superintendent of Police and rushed to Belgaum in the dead of the night. When the jeweller got in touch with policemen, who had turned robbers, he was told that they would detain the vehicle as well as the driver till the money was paid up.

By then, police superintendent Hemant Nimbalkar, who had already been briefed about the situation, formed a team of policemen to nab the culprits and asked the jeweller to “settle” the deal for Rs 500,000. When the jeweller called up the cops, he was asked to bring the money to Kakti.

When the corrupt cops, who arrived at the pre-determined spot in a Santro car that did not bear any number plate, they were shocked to find an entire team of policemen waiting for them with hand-cuffs. The culprits were taken away by the police and produced before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody.

Hemant Nimbalkar named the arrested policemen as Sub Inspector Ramesh Majjigud and constables Ravi, Magadhum and Mundali. Sub Inspector Rmaesh Majjigud, who was described by the Superintendent of Police as a “regular” in such extortions, had recently been promoted as inspector of police, but had not assume charge of his new post.