Two police constables deputed as security officers at the residence of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai were arrested on Tuesday, 19 January, for allegedly running a drug racket, and selling ganja (cannabis) in Bengaluru.
The policemen have been identified as Shivakumar and Santhosh, attached to the Koramangala police station.
The two were deputed as security officers at the RT Nagar residence of Chief Minister Bommai, in Bengaluru. According to the police, the accused obtained drugs from drug peddlers and sold them to customers.
The police said that the two accused policemen received drugs in a parcel that was sent through Dunzo, a delivery application. The accused officers would then allegedly enter a location near the Chief Minister’s residence to avoid any suspicion.
However, while receiving the drugs, they allegedly had an argument with the drug peddlers over the issue of payment, which led to suspicion and the two were arrested.
The accused constables, who were in plain clothes, were found with a packet of cannabis on them when they were arrested.
During an inquiry, the two revealed that the purchase was made from Amjad Khan and Akhil Raj — two wanted drug peddlers who operate in the city. The police have taken up the investigation.
According to reports, the police have taken the two drug peddlers into custody and questioned them.
In December 2021, the Bengaluru police had arrested two people and recovered five litres of hashish oil (cannabis oil), worth over Rs 5 crore and 1.5 kg of cannabis. The accused were from Andhra Pradesh, police said.
They also added that the duo meant to sell the hashish oil during New Year’s celebrations. In a press release, the police had said that the accused procured the drugs from Andhra Pradesh, and sold them at an empty site in Bengaluru’s BTM Layout 2nd Stage.
(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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