CBI files charge sheet against IPS officer in cheating case

CBI has filed a charge sheet before a special court here against Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Pramod Kumar and four others for allegedly demanding bribe of Rs 10 crore from a company embroiled in a Rs 870.10 crore cheating case.
Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, who remained absconding for many months was arrested by CBI from his apartment in South Delhi on May 2, last year.
The case was handed over to CBI on the orders of Madras High Court after which agency filed two cases. The first case was against directors of Pazee Forex K Mohanraj, Kathiravan and A Kamalavalli for allegedly cheating investors Rs 829 crore of promised returns and dividends.

The probe revealed that Pramod Kumar, the then Inspector General (West Zone), had allegedly demanded Rs 10 crore from the accused directors of the company through the investigating officer who is claimed to be handpicked by him, sources said.
The CBI has charged him with abusing his official position when he was IG Police of West Zone, Coimbatore, and making his subordinates and accomplices extort Rs 3.10 crore, deposited by the public, from the Paazee Group of companies.
"CBI took up the investigation of a case against a DSP & two inspectors of police...On the allegations that the accused had entered into criminal conspiracy, demanding Rs 10 crore from three accused in the cheating case being investigated by Central Crime Branch (CCB), Tirupur and extorted money to the tune of Rs 3.10 crore by criminally intimidating, wrongfully confining certain individuals," CBI said in a statement.

It said investigation revealed that the said officers had allegedly abused their official position, criminally intimidated and extorted money from the directors of private companies against whom there was a case of cheating depositors to the tune of Rs 870.10 crore (approx).