An ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) in Vijayawada was suspended on Sunday for engaging in corrupt activities. Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang issued suspension orders to ACP Central Division P Nagaraja Reddy after a departmental inquiry found him guilty of demanding a bribe.
Following the death of a worker in an accident at a construction site, the ACP reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from the builder to keep his name out of the case, according to Times of India. The builder then complained to the DGP, who directed Vijayawada Commissioner of Police B Sreenivasulu to carry out a departmental probe. The probe found ACP Nagaraja Reddy guilty of demanding the bribe.
The New Indian Express reported that according to Commissioner Sreenivasulu, the accident took place about two weeks ago, when a painter fell from a height at a building under construction, and later died while undergoing treatment. A case of suspicious death was registered at the Patamata police station. With the station Circle Inspector on leave, the ACP ended up reviewing cases under his limits, when he came across this particular case.
The ACP reportedly demanded money from the builder, threatening to add his name to the FIR if he failed to do so.
On Saturday, three police officers in Prakasam district were transferred, after an internal inquiry found them guilty of corruption and rude, inappropriate behaviour with the public. Prakasam Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal transferred the three officers to Vacancy Reserve a day after 38 officers, ranking from home guards to assistant sub-inspectors, were transferred based on various complaints against them.
Under Vacancy Reserve, the three suspended officers will report to the police headquarters until they receive their next posting. According to SP Siddharth Kaushal, many other police officers in the district were also facing similar allegations and were under investigation, with some of them even placed under surveillance.