Bengaluru: Five days after a CID police inspector, aided by his four associates, allegedly snatched a Rs 20-lakh cash bag from a Kerala businessman during a raid on a hotel, Bengaluru police arrested the officer and two others late Friday.They allegedly executed the crime with a police jeep bearing the CID insignia, after accusing the businessman of carrying out illegal activities, including money-laundering and drug-peddling.Officer Mahesh Kanakagiri and associates Vasanth Kumar and Kupendra Reddy were arrested based on a complaint from the businessman, identified as Junish Babu AK, 40.Two of the inspector’s associates, Hussain and Sahil, are yet to be arrested.Junish told police he had come to Bengaluru along with his friend on June 15 for business and they were staying at a hotel near Silk Board. The accused came in contact with the complainant in connection with trading and recently directed him to bring money for trading, offering high returns.When the complainant and his friend rented a room in the hotel, the team, allegedly headed by Kanakagiri, went to the hotel in the police department’s Mahindra Bolero, a senior officer said.While Kanakagiri remained inside the vehicle, his associates went to the complainant’s room. Using the inspector’s identity card, they introduced themselves allegedly as officials.In the guise of an inquiry, they demanded he hand over a cash bag. When the complainant refused, the gang allegedly assaulted him and his friend and robbed the bag containing Rs 20 lakh.The complainant approached the Madiwala police and filed a complaint on Thursday.Police examined hotel CCTV footage and found evidence showing a CID vehicle at the scene. Investigators traced the SUV to inspector Kanakagiri’s house and seized it. Subsequently, they arrested Vasanth Kumar and Kupendra Reddy, while the inspector went missing.City police commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh instructed his officers to treat the case on priority. A team led by assistant commissioner of police (Madiwala) VK Vasudev took over the probe. A majority of the amount that was robbed has been recovered.A senior officer said Kanakagiri was detained on Friday night and is being subjected to interrogation. The police are verifying the antecedents of the complainant too.
