HYDERABAD: A team led by a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) has begun an internal probe into allegations that a sub-inspector (SI) helped an accused in a nationwide ₹3,000-crore fraud escape to Maharashtra in exchange for ₹2 crore.
The officer, a 2014-batch recruit posted with a special unit in Hyderabad, allegedly escorted the accused and his wife to the state border.
According to police sources, on October 25, the SI pretended to arrest the accused, instructed his subordinates to follow in another vehicle, and then drove the couple himself to the Maharashtra border, where he reportedly dropped them off. The Maharashtra police later detained the pair.
Complaint led to internal probe
The alleged misconduct came to light after a local victim of the scam complained to an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) about repeated delays in the arrest. The ACP escalated the issue to senior officers, prompting the DCP-led inquiry.
Sources said the SI had earlier contacted the accused after learning of a case registered by the city police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and negotiated a "settlement". Investigators have obtained call data records (CDRs) of both the SI and the accused to trace communication between them.
Staff questioned, cash trail under verification
The DCP's team has also questioned the SI's subordinates, who confirmed that he had ordered them to travel separately. They reportedly stopped at a dhaba near Shashivepet, where the accused and his family switched vehicles and continued to Maharashtra.
Investigators are also examining whether the SI and two other officers were involved in "cash settlements" at police quarters in Begum Bazaar, where accused persons were allegedly helped in exchange for money. Despite warnings, the officers were later transferred to other units.
No cash has been recovered from the SI so far, but officials are verifying transactions involving his family members and possible benami accounts.
"The case is under investigation. The identities of the SI and the inter-state offender will be disclosed once the inquiry is complete," a senior officer said.