DCP on the run after 2 cops get arrested in extortion case

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A DCP-rank IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi has been declared absconding, in an ongoing angadia firm extortion case probe, by the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Mumbai Crime Branch.

Tripathi was on the run since the FIR was registered against two officers - assistant inspector Nitin Kadam and sub-inspector Samadhan Jamdade. Both officers, attached to the LT Marg police station, were arrested by CIU. Later, inspector Om Vangate was also arrested in the case.

According to sources, during the course of the investigation, the officers of LT Marg who have been arrested by the crime branch revealed that they were extorting money based on oral instructions from Tripathi, who was then holding the charge of DCP Zone 2. "Some facts have come to light during the investigation and his [Tripathi] custodial interrogation is needed," an officer privy to the investigation said.

Last year, in December, the members of an angadia firm reached out to the Mumbai police commissioner alleging that DCP demanded Rs 10 lakh per month as protection cost after they reached out to him, informing him about the harassment by LT Marg police station officers to the angadia members. After getting a shocking response from Tripathi, the members of the angadia firm reached out to the Mumbai police commissioner who directed the Additional Commissioner South Region Dilip Sawant to conduct a preliminary probe.

Sawant recently submitted his report and got the FIR registered against the officers of LT Marg police station based on CCTV footage and statements. However, Tripathi's name was not mentioned in the FIR as there was no documentary evidence against him. As per the FIR, last year in December, two angadia operators were detained by LT Marg police illegally and taken to Mumbadevi police chowky. They were asked to pay Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.

Following the FIR, assistant inspector Nitin Kadam and sub-inspector Samadhan Jamdade were arrested on February 19. The main accused police inspector Om Vangate moved to High Court and made allegations against Tripathi. However, he didn't get any relief from the court and was arrested last week.

Tripathi has been on the run for the past two weeks. He was shunted from Zone 2 and posted as DCP operation at police headquarters, but he never took charge and his number was switched off.

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