Sandalwood Case: Bengaluru Police suspend officers for leaking crucial information

In a major development, the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday suspended two policemen for allegedly leaking crucial information related to the Sandalwood drugs case.

The suspended policemen include Assistant Commissioner of Police M.R. Mudhavi and Head Constable Mallikarjuna, who were attached to the women's protection wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB).

According to Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil, "The CCB suspected that crucial information related to the Sandalwood drugs case were being leaked. We ordered an internal inquiry, in which concrete evidence was found against these two persons. Hence they were suspended."

According to Patil, though the two suspended cops did not belong to the core investigation team probing the Sandalwood drugs case, they started leaking crucial information to the close associates of the accused persons.

"This is not only breach of trust, but also amounts to abuse of power on the part of Mudhavi," a note released by the CCB said.

Patil had recommended the suspension of Mudhavi to Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Panth, who ratified it.

Earlier in the day, the CCB had questioned noted Kannada actor Diganth for his alleged connection with the Sandalwood drugs case.

This is the second time that Diganth has been summoned by the CCB in the last one week. He was earlier questioned along with his actor wife Aindrita Ray.

The CCB grilled him for more than three hours.

"I know my conscience is clear. I do not have to worry about anything. Whatever I know I have told them (the police). If they call me again, I don't mind coming like I have done on two occasions," Diganth told the media after his interrogation.

He added that the CCB has returned his phones which were seized during his last visit. "I have got my phones back," he said.