In a significant development highlighting misconduct within the force, a head constable stationed in Bengaluru has been suspended following serious allegations of land fraud and extortion. The action was taken by Bengaluru district superintendent of police CK Baba after a formal complaint was registered against the officer.
Suspended Constable Accused of Multiple Offences
The suspended police officer is identified as Girijesh, attached to the Nelamangala Rural police station. He is currently absconding. This is not his first brush with controversy. A few months prior, he was accused of extorting gold and cash from a 23-year-old woman, who had filed a complaint at the Bagalagunte police station.
Details of the Land-Grabbing FIR
The immediate cause for his suspension stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Dobbaspete police station. The complaint was filed on December 8 by 67-year-old Thampy Mathew, a retired private firm employee and farmer residing in NGEF Layout, Nagarabhavi.
Mathew accused Girijesh and several others of orchestrating a complex land fraud. The case involves two plots of land that Mathew had purchased back in 2007:
- Land bearing survey number 56/5 in Machenahalli village, measuring 5 acres and 0.12 guntas.
- Land bearing survey number 47, Kambalu land in Sompura village, Nelamangala taluk, measuring 2 acres and 13 guntas.
These lands were originally acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). Mathew alleged that the accused used forged documents, fake identities, and illegal registration processes to fraudulently claim ownership of his property.
Ongoing Investigation and Implications
The suspension order by SP CK Baba underscores a crackdown on corruption within the department. With Girijesh absconding, the police are now tasked with locating him and conducting a thorough investigation into both the land-grabbing case and the earlier extortion allegations.
This incident raises serious concerns about the misuse of power by personnel entrusted with upholding the law. The outcome of the probe will be closely watched, as it involves significant property rights and allegations of premeditated fraud against a senior citizen.
