Angadia extortion case: Maharashtra govt suspends accused DCP Saurabh Tripathi

“Tripathi is found absent from duty without informing the authorities since his order of transfer at the post of DCP Operations… As DCP he has not done his duty properly to ensure that his subordinates do not resort to any corrupt practices and misconduct,” the suspension order read.

“It has been observed that Tripathi has been exerting pressure on the witness in the FIR registered at LT Marg police station,” the order further noted.

The suspension order was undersigned by joint secretary (Home) Venkatesh Bhatt.

Tripathi was DCP (Zone II) when he allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh per month from angadias in south Mumbai. When the angadias did not heed his demand, Tripathi reportedly asked officers at the LT Marg police station to start taking action against them. Later, the angadias approached the Mumbai police commissioner and submitted a written complaint against Tripathi.

The commissioner asked additional commissioner of police (south region) Dilip Sawant to conduct an inquiry and based on the probe an FIR was registered on February 19 against three policemen attached to the LT Marg police station. After the three were placed under arrest, the police found that they were working on the instructions of Tripathi.

Tripathi was then named as an accused. The police found that he had been missing from his residence, following which he was named as a wanted accused.

On Saturday, the police made a fourth arrest in the case. The domestic help at Tripathi’s parents’ residence in Lucknow was held for allegedly receiving money sent by Tripathi from Mumbai. The police believe this money had been collected by Tripathi from the angadias through a middleman who has been made a witness in the case.

The police also recovered Rs 1.5 lakh from the middleman who claimed that he had earlier sent Rs 5 lakh to Lucknow at the behest of Tripathi.