Cottonpet PSI suspended on charges of fraud, misuse of gold

BENGALURU: City Police Commissioner B Dayananda has ordered the suspension of police sub-inspector Santosh of the Cottonpet police station on charges of fraud and misuse of 950 grams of gold. The decision comes after a preliminary investigation into a complaint filed by a jewellery store owner.

In 2020, Santosh was serving as PSI at the Halasuru Gate police station. He had allegedly misused 950 grams of recovered gold from a case, worth a significant amount. He went to the gold shop owner and said that he had to show the recovered gold, so he had to give him 950 grams of gold bars, take a photo, and bring it back.

The gold shop owner had entrusted Santosh with the gold, believing he would return it after taking photos as proof. However, Santosh instead offered the shop owner a site as security and sold the site to someone else. When the shop owner asked for the gold or money, Santosh gave him a blank cheque, which bounced. Even after that, he threatened him. Fed up with this, the jeweller complained to the West Division Deputy Commissioner of Police.

A preliminary investigation led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACB) found evidence of misconduct and cheating. Consequently, an FIR was filed against Santosh at the Halasuru Gate police station. Following the FIR, Police Commissioner Dayanand ordered Santosh’s suspension.