Chennai: Cop-husband of Tahsildar arrested in DVAC case placed under suspension

CHENNAI: City Police have placed a Head Constable under suspension after preliminary inquiries suggested that he was supposed to receive bribe money demanded by his Tahsildar wife, who was held by the DVAC on Tuesday.

Special Tahsildar, P Saroja, was arrested by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Tuesday for allegedly demanding Rs 1 crore to execute a Madras High Court order on eviction of encroachment. Saroja was arrested after a policeman, Arun Kumar, a conduit for the transaction, confessed that he had received the money on behalf of Saroja.

DVAC had taken action based on a complaint by Pon Thangavel, a social activist involved in initiating the eviction of encroached government lands in his area. After the HC order, he had met the Regional Deputy Commissioner (South), MP Amith, who had instructed Saroja to carry out the eviction in three days and do a follow-up.

Citing that the land value around the area would surge if the encroachment was evicted, Saroja had asked the complainant to collect money from the landowners whose land is adjacent to the encroachment and give her Rs 1 crore. Saroja later reduced the bribe amount to Rs 3 lakh, after which Pon Thangavel had approached the DVAC.

Meanwhile, Saroja had also directed a police constable, Arun Kumar, attached to the crime wing of St. Thomas Mount police station, to collect the money from the complainant and give it to her husband, Praveen, who is a Head Constable in St. Thomas Mount Armed Reserve.

DVAC arrested Saroja and constable, Arun Kumar on Tuesday, whose suspension order was served in Puzhal prison.

After a departmental inquiry revealed Head Constable Praveen Kumar’s role, he was placed under temporary suspension, police sources said.