Date:20/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/20/stories/2007122053090300.htm

Kerala

Cheating: jail term for policemen

Kasaragod: After a nine-year long legal battle, a local court on Wednesday sentenced two policemen to two years jail term for illegally taking possession of two gold biscuits from a youth here in March 1998.

Chief Judicial Magistrate court Judge A.A. Moosa also imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000 each on Kasaragod Armed Rifles Camp head constable C.P. Sebastian and head constable, now posted at Adoor police station, T. Sreedharan. Another accused, Circle Inspector K.K. Balasubramanyam is dead.

In March 1998, the trio had intercepted a computer student who was carrying the gold to Mangalore. The gold biscuits were confiscated though the youth told the policemen that the requisite duty was remitted on the imported good.

The policemen later refused to part with the gold, claiming that they had not confiscated it, thereby forcing the youth to lodge a complaint with the local police. The case, as directed by the Kerala High Court, was later handed over to the Crime Branch. The inquiry by Crime Branch DySP K. Abdul Gafoor established that the policemen were guilty of cheating. —PTI