Helping remanded woman to stay in hotel, taking flight back at expense of Archana Gautam, medical leave to act in movie: SI suspended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An SI has been suspended for illegally keeping a female prisoner in a hotel for two days. Action has been taken against SI Shefin of the Museum Police Station.

The police provided help to Archana Gautam, the third accused in the case of extorting Rs 15 lakh from a Vazhuthacaud native by promising admission to MBBS in Barcelona. The complainants had approached the City Police Commissioner against the SI's action. The Crime Branch investigated the allegations against the SI on the instructions of the Commissioner. Action may also be taken against a woman constable and a civil police officer who were with him.

Archana Gautam was in Haridwar jail in Uttarakhand in another case. The accused was taken into custody and produced before the Thiruvananthapuram CJM court. The accused, who was taken back to Haridwar jail, was kept in a hotel in Delhi for two days without being produced in court. The investigation also found that Shefin left in the name of gathering information after leaving the police officers and the accused in a vehicle parked in an unsafe place in Faisalabad. They had to stay in the vehicle for an hour and a half.

The SI and his team returned by flight at the expense of the accused. However, they had booked train tickets and presented them before the CI. The team did not inform the station about their arrival on the flight. Instead, they continued on illegal leave. The Vazhuthacaud native who had filed a complaint in the fraud case was the one who handed over the information along with evidence to the City Police Commissioner that the SI had connived with the accused. The investigation against the policemen who were with him is progressing. Their position is that they only obeyed the orders of their superiors.

Left to act in a movie

SI Shefin, citing health reasons, went to Idukki to act in a movie without taking departmental permission. A week after returning home from Uttarakhand, he took four days of illegal leave to act in a movie.