Seized cash misappropriation: Punjab cops arrested in Kochi

KOCHI: City police on Tuesday arrested two assistant sub-inspectors with the Punjab police who were suspended from service after facing allegations that they misappropriated around Rs 6 crore from the cash seized during a raid by Khanna police (of Punjab) at the residence of Father Antony Madassery in Partappura, Jalandhar on March 29.
The raid had received national media attention as Fr Madassery is said to be a close aide of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in a convent at Kuravilangadu, Kerala. Those arrested on Tuesday are ASI Joginder Singh and ASI Rajpreet Singh, both residents of Patiala in Punjab. The duo was booked along with another person in a case registered by Punjab police in connection with the incident.
City police in an official statement said that the arrests were made after holding intensive raids in the city based on specific information that two persons under fake names and fake address were staying in Kochi under suspicious circumstances.
“We don’t think there was any specific reason for them choosing to stay in Kochi. It seems like Kochi was one among the different locations they chose to stay. We are verifying further details about them,” said Kochi city police commissioner S Surendran adding that Punjab police have been intimated about the arrest.
Officials said that the accused confessed during questioning that they are officers of Punjab police under suspension in the misappropriation case. Their luggage and other belongings have been seized after recording the details and preparing mahassar, said officials.
Punjab state crime unit has arrested Pathankot resident Surinder Singh in connection with misappropriation after the priest had alleged that Rs 6.65 crore had gone missing from the total amount of Rs 16.65 crore which was seized from his home.
Surinder was informer in the case and he was booked along with assistant sub-inspectors Joginder Singh and Rajpreet Singh. Surinder was arrested by Samrala police under police district Khanna.
The case was registered at Mohali on April 12 under sections 406 and 34 of the IPC and sections 13 (1) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act after probe by SIT headed by IG (crime) Parveen Kumar Sinha.