Madras HC discharges IPS officer from Paazee Forex extortion case

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court discharged IPS officer Pramod Kumar from the Paazee Forex extortion case, as the charges against the officer has not proved.

It is settled principle of law in criminal cases, that the prosecution has to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubt as alleged, in the present case there is no evidence to show that the accused demanded money nor he accepted that money, wrote Justice Vivek Kumar Singh while allowing the petition moved by the IPS officer.

The charges framed against the petitioner, looking from any angle, this Court is of the considered opinion that the same is without application of mind and in violation to principles of natural justice as the offences levelled against the officer, wrote judge.

Merely saying that the other accused has received money on behalf of the petitioner, cannot substantiate their case which is only presumptive, such presumption is legally unsustainable in the eye of law, wrote the judge and set aside the criminal case pending against the petitioner in Coimbatore CBI Court.

In 2009, Tiruppur Central Crime Branch filed a case against the directors of Paazee ForexTrading India Ltd for the alleged offence of swindling Rs.930 crores from the depositors.

Meanwhile, one of the director of the Paazee Forex, Komalavalli Arumugham, went missing and case was registered to find her.

After the complaint was registered Komalavalli returned to the picture and lodged a complaint against the then West Zone Inspector General (IG) Pramod Kumar and two other police personnel alleging extorting money.

Subsequently, Pramod Kumar was booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC, later the case was transferred to CBI.

The investigation agency filed charge sheet against the IPS officer before the Coimbatore CBI Court.

Aggrieved by this the officer filed a petition in the High Court seeking to discharge him from the case.