Sandalwood drug racket: CCB ACP suspended for leaking info

BENGALURU: Two policemen, including an Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Central Crime Branch, have been placed under suspension for allegedly helping the accused in the Sandalwood drug racket by leaking information. It is alleged that the ACP had struck a `50-lakh deal with an accused to leak information.

MR Mudavi, the ACP of the Women Protection Wing of CCB, and Head Constable Mallikarjun have been suspended. Police said there was a setback to the investigation and it was suspected that strategies of the police were being leaked to the accused and their associates. Following this, an internal enquiry was conducted by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil. As preliminary enquiry established that the two policemen had helped the accused by leaking information, Head Constable Mallikarjun was suspended.

“The report was submitted to the Police Commissioner recommending suspension of the ACP. Based on the Commissioner’s report, the government issued orders on Wednesday, suspending ACP Mudavi pending departmental enquiry,” an official said.Sources said the ACP had struck a deal with accused Viren Khanna to leak the information. “The enquiry had exposed that Viren was still in touch with his associates, though the accused was in police custody. Mallikarjun revealed that he was doing it at the behest of the ACP. Hence, both have been suspended,” an official said.