'Bihar DGP to act against Saran DIG in bribe case'

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked Director General of Police Abhayanand to take the strictest possible action against senior Indian Police (IPS) officer and Saran Range DIG Alok Kumar for allegedly demanding Rs 10 crore bribe from a liquor merchant and threatening to falsely implicate him if he failed to pay the amount.

Sources have told IBNLive that Abhayanand met Nitish Kumar on Monday and showed him the evidence which reportedly implicates Alok Kumar and reveals that he was trying to intimidate liquor merchant Tunnaji Pandey and extort a huge sum of money from him.

Sources say the meeting lasted for over one hour with the Chief Minister telling the DGP that he was free to act against any police officer found to be demanding bribe or threatening people. Alok Kumar is expected to be summoned to the Police Headquarters in the next 24 hours and action initiated against him in 72 hours. The DGP will listen to Kumar's version before taking any decision.

Alok Kumar, who is an 1997 batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre and is on deputation to his home state of Bihar, is facing very serious charges and could not only be transferred but sources say the government has made up its mind to suspend him too to send out a strong message. He could also be repatriated back to his parent cadre. A search has also begun for the next Saran Range DIG.

Tunnaji Pandey had complained DGP Abhayanand accusing Alok Kumar of demanding Rs 10 crore as bribe. Inspector General of Police (Budget) Anupama Nilekar said in Patna on Sunday that Alok Kumar allegedly tried to extort the money using a middle-man. Pandey claimed that Kumar had threatened him earlier too and on January 10 asked him to pay Rs 10 crore or face dire consequences.

According to Pandey the DIG warned him against informing the senior officials and threatened that he would be booked on charges of selling spurious liquor.

The Economic Offences Wing was asked to take over the case after the DGP investigated and listened into the DIG's phone conversation. Sources say that the DGP found evidences of Kumar demanding money from Pandey and threatening him.