Chennai:
CBI on Wednesday charged a police officer with abusing his official position when he was Inspector General Police (IGP) of West Zone, Coimbatore, and making his subordinates and accomplices extort Rs 2.85 crore, deposited by the public, from the Paazee Group of Companies.
The agency said investigation had revealed that Pramod Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Armed Police), had an active role in "orchestrating the extortion through his subordinate police officials and his accomplices."
But for his involvement, the extortion of Rs 2.85 crore would not have been possible, CBI said in a counter filed in the Madras High Court in response to a plea for anticipatory bail by the officer who apprehended arrest for allegedly accepting graft from the investment firm.
Opposing grant of bail, the CBI rejected the officer's claim that there was "no iota of any allegation or whisper" against him from the company or the depositors.
The agency submitted that the investigation had revealed that the Directors of the Company were not only under obligation to repay the depositors but also under pressure to pay bribes to police officers during the relevant period.
Stating that the investigation was at a crucial stage, the CBI said that the main case of cheating the depositors was under active investigation.
The probe had revealed that the officer had "prevailed upon his subordinate officers and junior officers in postings and transfers to meet the demand of bribe of Rs 10 crore from M/s Paazee Group of Companies on the assurance that they need not pay to the depositors." He needed to be interrogated further, CBI said and prayed for dismissal of anticipatory bail plea.
Pramod Kumar was IGP, West Zone, between 2008 and 2010 during which time Tirupur district was under his jurisdiction.
In his plea, the officer had submitted that neither the main persons involved in the case nor the Directors of the firm had said that he had demanded any money or was given any money by them, when he was serving as IGP West Zone or to anyone on his behalf. This would go to show that he had no links with the Directors, he said.