Angadia extortion case: IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi suspended

IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi became incommunicado from the very next day the angodia extortion case was registered and is yet to be arrested.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra home department on Tuesday suspended deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Saurabh Tripathi, an Indian police service (IPS) officer booked as accused in the angadia extortion case registered by LT Marg police station in Mumbai. HT has reviewed the suspension order.

Three police officers, purportedly acting on IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi’s instructions, allegedly extorted ₹19 lakh from angadias in south Mumbai in the first week of December 2021. (Representational Image)

Tripathi was posted as DCP, Zone 2 in Mumbai when an extortion case was registered at LT Marg police station on February 18 against police inspector Om Wangate, assistant police inspector Nitin Kadam and police sub inspector Samadhan Jamdade. Purportedly acting on Tripathi’s instructions, the three officers allegedly extorted ₹19 lakh from angadias in south Mumbai in the first week of December 2021.

Tripathi was transferred to operations branch after registration of the FIR and has not reported on duty since then. “Tripathi has not informed his superiors about his absence nor has he submitted any medical documents for leave. In the meantime, it has been observed that Tripathi has been exerting pressure on the witnesses in the case registered at LT Marg police station for kidnapping and extortion,” said the suspension order issued by the home department.

“Government of Maharashtra is satisfied that it is necessary and desirable to place Tripathi, deputy commissioner of police, operations, Mumbai under suspension in accordance with the provision of Rule 3(i) of the All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 1969. Tripathi is placed under suspension with immediate effect until further orders,” it added.

Tripathi has been incommunicado from the very next day the case was registered and is yet to be arrested.

Police officials aware of the matter said his wife has submitted a letter to his superiors in Mumbai police force a few days ago saying he was unwell and unable to report on duty, but without any supporting medical report.

The Mumbai crime branch has formed five teams to search for the DCP at various places in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. His parents and in-laws were also questioned at his hometown in Lucknow but the police did not get any clue about Tripathi’s whereabouts.

The case is investigated by the crime intelligence unit (CIU) of the crime branch. The CIU arrested Pappu Kumar Pyarelal Gaud, a domestic help of Tripathi’s parents from Lucknow on March 17. He has been accused of having received part of the extortion money on Tripathi’s instructions. The amount was sent through hawala channels from Mumbai.

Wangate, Kadam, and Jamdade have also been arrested in the case and are in judicial custody, whereas Gaud has been in police custody and will remain so till March 28.

Tripathi was named as an accused after Wangate revealed his name in the interrogation saying that he was acting on Tripathi’s oral directions, said a senior IPS officer.

Tripathi is a 2010 batch IPS officer who has served as ADC to the governor of Maharashtra. He was later posted as superintendent of police at Ahmednagar and also served as deputy commissioner of police in traffic and also in zone 4.