Chikkamagaluru Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Kallappa Handibag. who was accused of kidnapping a man and taking a ransom of Rs. 10 lakh, commit suicide at Muragodu village of Belagavi on Tuesday.
Deputy SP was suspended from his job after his name figured in an abduction for money case. He was accused of trying to extort Rs. 10 lakh by kidnapping a man who was earlier involved in gambling.
The officer had been absconding since the complaint accusing him as one among five persons of kidnap and extortion was registered at Basavanahalli Police Station in Chikkamagaluru on Monday.
Chikkamagaluru police were in search of the accused officer. Kallappa Handibag, who was posted in Chikkamagaluru two years ago, was on duty till Sunday evening in Chikkamagaluru.
Tejas Gowda, a resident of Chikkamagaluru, had filed a complaint alleging that the DySP and four others had kidnapped him with the help of a gang of youths on June 28 and he was released only after his friends handed over ransom of Rs. 10 lakh to Kallappa Handibag. Tejas Gowda’s friend Pavan had reportedly spoken to the police officer over phone before handing over the cash. The police had collected the audio clips of the conversation.
District superintendent of police (SP), Santosh Babu, says that 24 persons were taken into custody from a plantation in Chikkolale village in the district on June 27 after they were found gambling with playing cards. They were released the same day on bail. But a gang of six to seven persons who came in a Scorpio vehicle forcibly took away Tejes in their vehicle when he came out. Tejes was kept in a kennel used for keeping dogs at Sanjay Nagar extension and tortured.
Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said that he had ordered the erring police officer’s suspension. He said, “I got a message that he committed suicide. How it happened and why it happened etc will be probed. After the inquiry we will know everything. We are taking this issue very seriously.”
Senior BJP leader and MLA S Sureshkumar said that it was a very serious issue. He said, “It is very shocking and surprising incident. I think a serious probe is required in this case. We don’t know who were the people behind it. A high-level inquiry is a must.”
