04/08/2011

Richie rich: Punjab's millionaire woman cop in CBI net

Chandigarh: A palatial bungalow, lakhs in cash and jewellery, two luxury cars and a well-stocked bar with the best of international liquor brands -- CBI sleuths stumbled upon all this and more during a recent raid on woman Punjab police officer Raka Ghira.

And everyone -- from her colleagues to neighbours and even the investigators themselves -- were a little more than just curious.

Having laid a trap July 24 while she was allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 100,000 from controversial builder K.K. Malhotra to "clear" his file, the Central Bureau of Investigation closed in on the riches of the well-heeled deputy superintendent of police (DSP). Malhotra is facing charges of fraud and forgery.

A raid at her bungalow in an upscale locality in Chandigarh's Sector 15 following the trap led to the recovery of over Rs 87 lakh in cash. CBI officials had to requisition electronic counting machines to count the notes.

"Why did she have so much cash at home? She is not a businesswoman," a CBI official said.

The agency also recovered documents of fixed deposits of nearly Rs 65 lakh, two imported weapons, nearly 1,200 live cartridges of various weapons, a luxury sedan and an expensive sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a well-stocked bar with over 50 bottles of best international liquor brands.

When her bank lockers were opened, gold jewellery worth nearly Rs 25 lakh was found along with cash and other valuables, official said.

Raka had joined the Punjab police as an inspector in 1999 on compassionate grounds after her husband, Ranbir Singh, a superintendent of police with the state police, died in a road accident.

"Her arrest and assets have left even senior police officers shocked. Women officers openly indulging in corrupt practices is not commonplace," a senior state police officer told IANS here, requesting anonymity.

In her nearly 11 years of service, Raka was mostly posted in Mohali, adjoining Chandigarh, owing to her connections with political leaders in the state. Even at the time of her arrest, she was holding the coveted post of DSP-city in Mohali.

source

http://news.in.msn.com/crimefile/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5331101&_p=ba86d79a-0365-4d2a-8b3b-16c78b3f687c&_nwpt=1