HC grants anticipatory bail to former ACP in extortion case

CHENNAI: Justice G Jayachandran of Madras High Court granted anticipatory bail to Siva Kumar, the then Assistant Commissioner of Police for Thirumangalam range in Chennai, who was booked by the CB-CID in May 2021 for allegedly abducting and threatening a businessman to register his properties to another party.

“In view of the subsequent development that the investigation is almost completed and the compromise entered by the complainant will no more require the custodial interrogation of the petitioner. Hence this court is inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner,” the judge held.

The court further put a condition that the petitioner is not permitted to leave the state of Tamil Nadu without prior permission of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Special Court for CCB & CB-CID, Egmore, Chennai, “Since the conduct of the petitioner indicates that he has been absconding all along and he was not available for interrogation,” the court added.

The petitioner prayed for granting the anticipatory bail, submitting that the complainant and the prime accused in the case have entered into the compromise and the same has been recorded in the proceedings before this court.

However, the police objected to the contentions of the accused submitting that the compromise was entered between the complainant and prime accused only in respect of their money transaction. “The petitioner who was an ACP and a former inspector had abused their powers and abducted the complainant and his wife and kept them in illegal detention. They forced them to execute the sale deed, which is a case of serious nature and the custodial interrogation is very much required,” the police submitted.

However, the judge rejected the police’s submissions and granted the anticipatory bail to the then ACP directing him to appear before the Metropolitan Magistrate, Special Court for CCB & CBCID, Egmore, Chennai within seven days with the bail order.

The case was filed on the basis of the complaint of one entrepreneur named Rajesh. He alleged that Venkata Sivagnanakumar, Tharun Krishnaparasad, Srinivasa Rao, Srikandan aka Kodambakkam Sri along with the assistance of the then ACP Sivakumar, then Inspector of Police Saravanan, then SI Pandiarajan and then head constables Joseph, Giri and Jeyakumar of Tirumangalam police had illegally abducted him and his family members including his fiancée. The accused forced him to execute a sale deed of his properties in favour of Srinivasa Rao and Tharun Krishnaprasad of AP.