Chennai, March 10 The Madras High Court has granted bail to two police officers who were booked in an extortion case by the Chennai police. Justice Sunder Mohan, in his order on Monday, ruled that Sub-Inspector Sunny Lloyd and Special Sub-Inspector T. Rajasingh were entitled to bail on the grounds of parity, as three other accused in the case had already been released on bail.
The court directed both officers to report to the police station daily until further orders. According to reports, on December 11, 2023, based on a tip-off from Sunny Lloyd and Rajasingh, three officers from the Income Tax Department—Pradeep, Prabhu, and Dhamodharan—intercepted a man named Thamim Ansari, who was carrying Rs 40 lakh in cash.
The IT officers allegedly took Thamim into their vehicle, threatened him, and extorted Rs 15 lakh from him. The crime came to light when Sunny Lloyd was arrested in connection with a separate extortion case.
During the investigation, he revealed details about the December 11 incident, implicating himself and the other accused.
On February 4, the Thousand Lights police registered a case against all the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 126(2), 127(2), 239, 240, 199, 256, 316(5), 314, 318(2), 308(3), and 351(2). Sunny Lloyd and Rajasingh filed a bail petition, arguing that they were arrested solely based on the statements of other accused individuals and that no victim had come forward to support the case against them.
However, Additional Public Prosecutor Arul Joseph strongly opposed their bail, arguing that the petitioners were the primary accused and had provided the crucial information that enabled the extortion.
He further stated that both officers were involved in at least eight similar offences. Investigators have alleged that SSI Sunny Lloyd was the mastermind behind this crime and several other extortion cases. Reports indicate that he was allegedly involved in four incidents in the past three months alone, leading to the embezzlement of nearly Rs 1 crore.
Further allegations suggest that Lloyd used the extorted money to open a luxury gym in Zam Bazaar and purchase a resort along the East Coast Road (ECR).
Investigators also alleged that he had been engaged in criminal activities for over five years and had been dismissed from his position three times in the past. Despite these serious allegations, the High Court granted him and Rajasingh bail, directing them to report daily to the police station as part of their bail conditions.
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