Kochi: Four Karnataka policemen, including a Circle Inspector rank officer, were detained by the Kerala police on graft charges here on Wednesday night. The arrested police personnel have been identified as Shivaprakash, Sandesh, Vijayakumar and Shivanna. The policemen were from the Karnataka Cyber Wing. During the search operation, the Kalamassery police in Kerala recovered Rs 3.95 lakhs of bribe money from the accused policemen's possession. The four cops had gone to Kochi to arrest the two accused in an online cheating case. At present, the four detained policemen from Karnataka are being interrogated at the Kalamassery police station in Kerala.
It is learnt from sources that four Karnataka policemen were asking for Rs 25 lakhs from the two accused to clear their names from the online fraud case. After a lot of haggling over the matter, the policemen agreed to accept Rs 10 lakhs. Finally, the negotiation tapered off to Rs 4 lakhs. But, the four policemen from Karnataka after accepting the bribe money did not let off the accused and took the duo, along with them to Bengaluru. When a relative of one of the two accused knew about it that the duo was being taken by the Karnataka police. He immediately informed the Kerala police. The relative lodged a complaint with the Kochi City Police Commissioner.
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Acting on a tip-off, the Kalamassery police intercepted their vehicle and seized the bribe, besides arresting them (four policemen from Karnataka). The two accused were picked up by the Karnataka police in connection with online fraud in Bengaluru from Mattanchery locality of Kochi city in Kerala. One of the accused had paid Rs 3 lakhs and the other Rs 1 lakh for exonerating them from the online cheating case.
Meanwhile, a police team led by an ACP-rank officer from Karnataka has arrived at Kochi. DCP (Kochi) S Shashidharan said further proceedings will be initiated against the four arrested Karnataka policemen as per the legal advice.
