Another blot on police force, APSI arrested for extortion

Aurangabad, May 13 (UNI) After the recent sex racket involving policemen here, another blot blemished the force's uniform when an Assistant Police Sub-Inspector (APSI) was arrested in an extortion case.

Deputy Commissioner of Police M B Tambde today said that Ankush Kharat has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against him.

According to police, the APSI had extorted Rs 53,000 from a jeep driver on May 10. The driver Sunil Nidhane, working at a private tea company at Chitegaon, used to transport workers from Aurangabad to Chitegaon in a jeep.

On Thursday, when the driver entered the city, he was signaled to stop by the accused APSI. However, when the former did not stop, the APSI, accompanied by an accomplice, gave chase and forced the driver to halt.

The APSI, then, allegedly slipped a bomb-like object into the jeep and charged the jeep driver with carrying explosives. The APSI demanded one lakh rupees from the driver for not initiating action against him. After negotiations, he scaled down the amount to Rs 53,000.

The driver informed his company manager about the demand and the latter visited the Harsul police chowky and handed over the money to Kharat.

However, later, the driver narrated the real incident to the manager who approached Police Commissioner Uddhav Kamble.

On the basis of a complaint lodged by the driver, the police have arrested Kharat. However, the accomplice, Rajput alias Bhaiyaa, is still at large.

UNI