Bargarh: Three police constables were arrested on charges of extorting Rs 4.51 lakh from a businessman in Bargarh district, on Tuesday.
Those arrested were identified as Sadananda Pradhan, Saroj Seth and Bipin Bihari Bedbak, along with one of their associates, Jay Prakash Gupta.
The extorted money has been seized and returned to businessman Nandalal Prasad of Paikmal in the district.
“Nandalal was on his way to Sambalpur on August 26 night when the constables intercepted the bus he was travelling in and picked him up at Bhatli here. They took him to Sadar police station for questioning and later took away the cash from him,” informed Bargarh SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo.
The SP further said that Jay Prakash, who had a dispute with Nandalal over some issue, told a constable of Sadar police station that he was travelling with the money and had close links with the Maoists. Following the tip-off, the constables brought the victim to the police station and threatened to implicate him for his alleged Maoist connection, if he did not hand over the money, he added.
