Cop held on extortion charges

COIMBATORE: A cop and an ambulance driver were arrested by Coimbatore city police on Thursday for extorting Rs 47,000, five television sets and a gas stove by thrashing two north Indian workers, who were into selling home appliances.

The accused, P Murugan (34), a grade II constable at Sulur police station and residing at Ramanathapuram and P Prathish (27), an ambulance driver from Indira Nagar in Sulur had bought two LCD TVs from J Thasim (26) and Shahrukh (29), both hailing from Uttar Pradesh a few days ago.

“The migrants were into selling home appliances in their two- wheeler. Within a few days, the TVs seem to have developed some snag.

On Tuesday, Murugan and his friend spotted the north Indian workers selling home appliances at Kannampalayam near Sulur and questioned them by raising allegations of selling stolen goods,” police said.

Subsequently, the cop took the duo to a workshop in Varadarajapuram and thrashed them. “They then let off Shahrukh to go and took Thasim to his room, where the cop took away five TVs, gas stove and Rs 47,000 in cash. The migrant workers were threatened of dire consequences, if they complained,” police said.

Based on a complaint from Thasim, the Singanallur police registered a case under various sections, including wrongful restraint, extortion of property, causing grievous hurt and criminal intimidation.