SI Under Probe for Helping Rs 3K-Cr Cheat Flee

Hyderabad: City police commissioner VC Sajjanar took serious notice of allegations that a sub-inspector was harboring a wanted interstate economic criminal accused of defrauding victims of nearly Rs 3,000 billion in five states; after reportedly signing a deal worth Rs 2 billion following his arrest.

Sources said the commissioner was personally monitoring the investigation and directed the special branch, law and order and task force teams to investigate on a priority basis and submit urgent reports. “The commissioner wants to know whether the accused escaped on his own or took help from the sub-inspector,” said a police officer.

While the special branch launched an internal investigation, police and order officials inspected a police station in Begum Bazar during a departmental investigation; here the sub-inspector and two others allegedly met the accused Vuppalapati Satish and agreed to help him escape to Maharashtra.

Investigators interrogated two deputy inspectors, the chief constable and police officers who were aware of the offer. Satish, wanted by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW-CCS) for defrauding several investors, had allegedly collected Rs 25 lakh in the name of the business from Hyderabad-based Dr P. Vinay Kumar, son of former Union minister P. Shiv Shankar.

Both departmental and internal investigations are on to verify the allegations that the SI had demanded Rs 2 crore to protect Satish, officials said. Investigators are examining SI’s call data, GPS records and CCTV footage of Sadasivpet to confirm whether she met Satish or not. “We have been instructed not to disclose details of the investigation until the charges are proven. We will take action based on the evidence,” a senior official said.

It is also alleged that after Satish, his wife Shilpa and an associate were arrested and taken to Maharashtra to recover their assets, the SI diverted his team and allowed them to escape. Reliable sources said that Satish and his family were detained by the commissioner’s task force with the help of the Maharashtra police, which was tracking fake assets.