2 cops suspended for taking bribes from red sanders smugglers in Andhra Pradesh

An inquiry by AP Vigilance Department has revealed that two senior police officers tasked with monitoring activities of red sanders smugglers and protecting forest officers from them were allowing the felling of the protected trees in lieu of huge bribes from the smugglers. The state government Thursday suspended G Uday Kumar, then OSD of a task force operating in Tirupati and G V Ramana, subdivisional police officer of Rajampet in Kadapa District. “There is strong evidence against the two officers for their involvement in illegal activities, including red sanders smuggling. The evidence also points to officers accepting bribes from those involved in criminal cases,’’ an official said. “The evidence shows that Uday Kumar, during his tenure, had received huge bribes from red sandalwood smugglers every month.”