A Sub-Inspector (SI) attached to the Malappuram district crime branch who took a bribe of Rs 50,000 through a middleman was arrested by vigilance. SI K Suhail (36) and the middleman Mohammad Basheer were caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from an accused in a fraud case under investigation. 

The complainant was charged in a case registered by the Malappuram police in 2017. In that lawsuit, he was granted bail by the High Court in 2019. Suhail, who had gone to Bengaluru as part of the investigation, arrested the complainant staying there. He was produced in the Malappuram court and quickly got bail. 

The crime branch SI then started blackmailing and threatening the accused. Since there were several warrants against the habitual offender, Suhail agreed to help him by accepting bribes. He threatened the accused to pay him regularly or face the consequences (constant arrests). Instead of accepting favors directly, Suhail used intermediaries.

To ‘soften’ the cases against the accused, Suhail demanded that he pay Rs.3.50 lakhs in cash and buy him an Apple iPhone 14. Accordingly, on 2 January, the complainant bought a black iPhone 14 and handed it over to the middleman Basheer. But Suhail insisted that he wanted a blue-colored better model (256 GB) of the same mobile device. On 23 January 2023, the black iPhone was returned through the intermediary.

Suhail upped the threats and wanted the complainant to arrange the mobile immediately, or the case would be strengthened, and he would be arrested. The complainant informed Suhail that he had financial difficulty and wanted some time. 

When the SI’s threat became unbearable, the habitual offender met the Director of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Manoj Abraham, and discussed the matter. Abraham instructed Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Northern Region, Prajeesh Thottathil, to investigate the case.

As per the vigilance team’s instructions, the complainant purchased a blue iPhone from Irinjalakuda in Thrissur on the 24th. As instructed by SI Suhail, he handed over the mobile to another middleman named Hashim. 

With this, Suhail informed the complainant that he could pay the 3.5 lakh rupees demanded earlier in installments. Following this, the first installment of Rs 50,000 was handed over to Basheer, the first middleman, on 31 January, as requested by Suhail. 

A vigilance team followed Basheer and caught both of them red-handed when he was handing over the money to Suhail. Hashim, too, was arrested from Thrissur. Malappuram Unit Vigilance Anti-Corruption Bureau police, led by Inspector Jothindra Kumar, searched Suhail’s house on Tuesday.

Both Suhail and Basheer are from the Malappuram district. Basheer is from Manjeri, while SI Suhail is a native of Areekode. All three were produced before the vigilance court on Wednesday.

Though several laws exist, such instances prove that our constitution also has specific loopholes. Police officers allegedly charge the accused as per their own whims and fancies. Corrupt officers reportedly add harsher sections if the offenders cannot pay bribes.