'File charge sheet against cops in land extortion case'

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Krishnagiri District Crime Branch (DCB) to file a charge sheet/final report before the magistrate concerned within 12 weeks in a land extortion case filed against two policemen and others for allegedly threatening a family to execute a sale deed in favour of another person.

Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan passed the direction on disposing of the petition filed by L Shanmugam, a resident of Kelamangalam, Denkanikottai taluk, Krishnagiri district. The petitioner sought a direction to transfer the investigation of the case from the DCB to the CBCID or any other competent agency to file a fresh FIR.

“Senthil, who served as an Inspector of police and constable Tirupathy in DCB, Krishnagiri, had threatened my family and other landowners for executing a sale deed in favor of one Sivasankaran. The policemen put us under illegal confinement for executing the sale deed of 5,091 square feet of land worth Rs 1 crore in Kelamangalam, Krishnagiri district. As they warned us they will slap FIRs against us, we forcibly executed the sale deed on February 12, 2015, in Kelamangalam sub-registrar office by receiving a cheque for Rs 35 lakh from one Sivasankaran,” the petitioner submitted through his counsel HB Saravana Kumar.

He further added, “Adding fuel to fire, the cheques issued towards sale consideration were also dishonored due to insufficient funds.”

The petitioner also informed the court that there is no development in the case since 2015 and it needs to be immediately transferred to some other agencies other than DCB. However, A Damodaran, Additional Public Prosecutor, informed the judge that the DCB, Krishnagiri has almost completed the investigation, and transferring the case to some other agency will affect the entire probe.

Recording the submissions, the judge directed the inspector of police, DCB, Krishnagiri to file the final report before the magistrate concerned within 12 weeks. The court also directed the Krishnagiri SP to monitor the investigation to ensure that the respondent officer is complying with the directive.