In a shocking incident that blurs the line between law enforcement and crime, Bengaluru police have arrested a YouTuber and three police personnel from the Chikkajala police station for allegedly extorting ₹56 lakh from a Bengaluru-based tax consultant.
The main accused, Praveen, a YouTuber, allegedly orchestrated the scheme. He was aided by head constable Vijay Kumar and constables K Santosh and Manjunath. The victim, 34-year-old Nagaraj Bandaru, was introduced to another suspect, Puneeth, who claimed to be purchasing USDT cryptocurrency and promised Bandaru a return of ₹65 lakh if he could provide ₹50 lakh in cash.
Bandaru met Puneeth at a hotel on May 5 with the money. However, Puneeth backed out at the last minute. As Bandaru was returning, a team led by constable Santosh allegedly intercepted his vehicle, accused him of involvement in illegal money transfer, and extorted ₹6 lakh in cash.
Later, Puneeth called Bandaru again to a different location, where he and his associates reportedly assaulted the consultant and forcibly took the remaining ₹50 lakh. Bandaru subsequently lodged a police complaint.
While Praveen and the three cops have been arrested, Puneeth and other members of the gang are still on the run.
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