A Dy. SP rank officer, Shridhar Poojary, serving in the Internal Security Division and an accused in the Bitcoin scam, slipped away from the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in filmy style on Tuesday. The accused also allegedly injured one of the officers attempting to arrest him.
An FIR has been filed at the Vidhana Soudha police station.
On the directions of the investigation officer of the SIT, Assistant Sub Inspector Bhaskar and Anil Kumar G., Detective Police Inspector (DPI), set out to take Poojary into custody. The police officials had prior information from their informants about his whereabouts.
Around 1 p.m., when they reached Central College Metro Station, the police found Poojary sitting in his car with an advocate. Immediately, Mr. Bhaskar moved the bike and parked it in front of the car, after which Mr. Anil Kumar approached the accused to convince him to come with them to the CID office.
In the FIR, it has been alleged that Poojary started to shout at Mr. Anil and, within minutes, moved the car. Mr. Anil jumped to save himself. The car sped away towards K.R. Circle.
The police said the accused stopped the car midway to let the advocate alight and later drove away. The ASI and DPI started to chase the car. At the Coffee Board signal, Poojary stopped the car. Immediately, Mr. Bhaskar went near the car window and asked the accused again to drive the car towards the CID office.
They alleged that the accused again started to shout and threatened them with dire consequences using foul language. When he started to move the car, Mr. Bhaskar, in an attempt to hold him, leaned inside the window. Even as he was holding the accused, he stepped on the gas. As a result, Mr. Bhaskar was hit by many vehicles moving on the road and finally fell on the road, losing grip, it is alleged in the FIR. Mr. Bhaskar, in his complaint, alleged that Poojary in an attempt to kill him, moved the car intentionally.
The police have booked him under IPC sections 506, 504, 307, 332 and 353. Poojary, in the Bitcoin scam, is accused of helping private persons to receive cryptocurrencies. Poojary was also accused of holding illegal custody of hacker Srikrishna Ramesh and his associate Robin Kandelwal. He was then serving as a Police Inspector at the Central Crime Branch.
The SIT has arrested another accused, Lakshmikantaiah, who was then CCB inspector when the scam happened and sent him to police custody till March 7.
