The Mumbai Crime Branch on Tuesday afternoon arrested an Assistant Sales Tax Commissioner posted in Basti district of Uttar Pradesh in connection with the Angadia extortion case, informed Crime Branch on Wednesday.
Assistant Commissioner Ashutosh Mishra is very close to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Saurabh Tripathi, the suspended IPS officer who is accused in the Angadia extortion case.
After getting the transit remand from the local court, the team of the Mumbai Crime Branch will reach Mumbai today and Mishra will be produced in the court.
The Angadia extortion case pertains to a complaint made by the Angadia association in December last year to a senior Mumbai Police officer that Saurabh Tripathi is threatening angadia operators and its employees with an Income Tax raid and extorted Rs 15-18 lakh from them. Later, Angadia operators approached Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale and filed a complaint. Following this, the commissioner ordered an inquiry into the case.
DCP Tripathi used to send money received from angadias (courier) extortion racket to Uttar Pradesh through the hawala channel.
Saurabh Tripathi, who is a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, is missing. A total of 5 teams have been constituted for the investigation. Tripathi filed an anticipatory bail plea in Sessions Court in connection with the Angadia extortion case.
Mumbai Crime Branch team is continuously looking for IPS officer Saurabh Tripathi. Tripathi is absconding for a month, and two teams of the Crime Branch are present in Uttar Pradesh in search of Tripathi.
The police had earlier suspended three officers for allegedly extorting Rs 15-18 lakh from an Angadia operator. Later, the officers - Nitin Kadam (API), Samadaan Jamdade (Sub Inspector) and Om Vangate were arrested.
( With inputs from ANI )
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