Three policemen including SI accused of extortion in Jaffna

In a strange twist, sleuths discovered the goldsmith was using a police motorbike issued to one of the accused officers.

The Jaffna police are probing a complaint lodged by a goldsmith that three policemen including a sub-in spector of police had allegedly demanded hush money from him for themselves and for a particular magistrate .

Initial investigations revealed the police personnel had visited the goldsmith on several occasions.

According to the goldsmith they had threatened to charge him with smelting gold stolen in Jaffna.

The complainant added he had already paid the accused 10 gold sovereigns and Rs.25,000 as protection money.

The goldsmith claimed that during the past week the police personnel had made demands for more gold.

The goldsmith had recorded the conversation on his mobile phone and handed it over to a senior police officer in Jaffna which resulted in the ongoing investigation.

A senior officer investigating the crime said they were presently collecting details of quantities of gold given to the officers. He added the goldsmith claimed the accused had threatened to file charges stating he was purchasing stolen gold.

SSP Jaffna, Glaston Stanislaus told Sunday Times, he was leading investigations into the complaint and if criminal activity was discovered, severe action would be taken against the culprits irrespective of whether they were police officers or not.

In a strange twist, sleuths discovered the goldsmith was using a police motorbike issued to one of the accused officers.

Investigations also revealed several thefts of gold had taken place in Jaffna, but only a few of them had been reported.