DT Exclusive: Sales Tax officers part of I-T men, Chennai cops' robbery gang, reveals new extortion case
However, the Triplicane fiasco ended their dream run, along with exposing the roles of three sales tax department employees.
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CHENNAI: Investigations into the theft of Rs 15 lakh from a trader near Triplicane two months ago, in which two personnel with the Chennai police and three Income Tax department staff were arrested, the city police have found that the same gang was involved in a similar robbery in Thousand Lights area, too, just a week before the Triplicane incident.
However, the Triplicane fiasco ended their dream run, along with exposing the roles of three sales tax department employees.
While the Triplicane incident took place on December 16, the gang had pulled off the Thousand Lights extortion on December 11, in which they had taken Rs 20 lakh of Rs. 40 Lakh seized and returned the rest.
Police sources said an FIR was registered at the Thousand Lights police station recently, and the roles of three sales tax personnel have come to light.
I-T inspector Damodharan, I-T officer Pradeep, superintendent Prabhu, Chennai police SSI Rajasingh - attached to the law and order wing of the Triplicane police station - and an SSI from Saidapet police, who were arrested in December 2024 based on a complaint by Mohammed Ghouse of Old Washermenpet in the Triplicane incident, were arrested again in the first week of February in connection with the Thousand Lights case.
In the Thousand Lights case, the accused officers had confiscated Rs 40 lakh and returned only Rs 20 lakh to the victim. The three accused sales tax officers are Suresh, Satheesh and Babu.
Following the information received during the interrogation of the accused in the Triplicane robbery case, the police had registered a case at the Thousand Lights police station. The police are expected to summon more I-T officers in connection with the case and other similar cases of ‘seizing unaccounted cash’.
Meanwhile, a sessions court in the city refused to grant bail to three I-T officers (involved in the Triplicane case) booked for the extortion of Rs 15 lakh by allegedly threatening an individual.
