Inspector re-arrested on robbery charges

An inspector, who was arrested on February 16 on charges of intimidating and waylaying a businessman near Kodaikanal on January 27, was re-arrested today for allegedly robbing the businessman again on February 12, police said.
He was produced before Judicial Magistrate Kavitha and remanded to judicial custody again.
Police said Inspector Gopinatha Pandian ,who joined the police force in 1996, was first arrested by Ammayanakanur police on charges of intimidating and waylaying a businessman near Kodai Road toll gate.
He was then produced before Judicial Magistrate-III, M Seyadhu Sulaiman Ussain at his residence here and remanded to 15 days judicial custody.

He was first arrested for allegedly extorting Rs 1 lakh from the Madurai based businessman Sivaperumal, police said.
According to police, on February 12 he had allegedly robbed the same businessman of Rs.2.5 lakh and cigarette bundles worth Rs 36 lakh. On a complaint from Sivaperumal, Nilakottai police re-arrested him today and produced him before Judicial magistrate Kavitha who remanded him to judicial custody for another 15 days.

On the both occasions, the Inspector had allegedly threatened the businessman that he would file a false case against him and robbed him, police asid.
When Sivaperumal was allegedly robbed by the Inspector and his associates on February 12, three persons were in police uniform though they were not actually policemen, police said.

They also abducted him and a driver in another car and took them to Nilakottai.The gang fled after leaving them and the vehicle at Nilakottai.
During investigation it was found that Inspector's car was used in the robbery, police said.
Police said the Inspector told them that he gave his car to one of his friends for personal use. He told them that he did not know anything else, police said.
Police said they were searching for nine others in connection with the highway robbery case.