Mumbai Crime Branch arrests man involved in DCP Tripathi's extortion racket from Lucknow

A person from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by Mumbai's Crime Branch for allegedly handling the hawala money of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Saurabh Tripathi. DCP Tripathi is a suspect in the Angadia extortion case.

According to ANI, the crime branch reached Mumbai with the accused in its custody. The accused will be produced before the court on Sunday, reported ANI. 

The Crime Branch has not revealed the name of the alleged handler of Hawala money of DCP Saurabh Tripathi, but mentioned that DCP Tripathi used to transfer money received from the Angadias extortion racket to Uttar Pradesh through the hawala channel, ANI reported.

Angadia extortion case

The Association of Angadias had complained to the then-commissioner of police in December, alleging that police officials on LT Marg and VP Road, including DCP Tripathi, were demanding Rs 10 lakhs to allow them to run their business smoothly. The additional commissioner of police (South Region), Dilip Sawant, conducted an investigation and presented a report indicating that Angadias' complaints were true.

The Mumbai crime branch's Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) is currently investigating the matter, and three policemen have been arrested: police inspector Om Wangate, assistant police inspector Nitin Kadam, and police sub-inspector Samadhan Jamdade. Jamdade and Kadam are being held in judicial detention. Wangate, who was detained on March 10, was back in court on Tuesday, and his police custody was extended until March 19.

During the investigation, Wangate, who is a key accused in the extortion case, allegedly revealed the name of DCP Saurabh Tripathi, stating that he was acting on the verbal direction of the DCP, a senior police officer said. The Crime Branch, during a prior hearing of the case in magistrate's court earlier this week, informed the court that DCP Saurabh Tripathi had been made an accused in the case based on the statements of the other accused. The Crime Branch team also informed the court that Tripathi had failed to report for duty, which is why he was being sought as a wanted defendant.

On Saturday, DCP Tripathi filed an anticipatory bail petition in the sessions court in connection with the Angra extortion case, in which he is charged. Speaking to ANI, Advocate Aniket Nikam, who submitted the anticipatory bail plea for him, said that Saurabh Tripathi was unfairly accused in the case, as his name had never appeared during the initial investigation conducted by the police.