While CBI readies to verify disclosures made by senior IPS officer Pramod Kumar during his five-day custodial interrogation, the state police headquarters has written to the home department recommending suspension of the IG arrested in connection with Tirupur Paazee Forex Scam.
Sources said the home secretary was expected to sign Pramod’s suspension order as soon as he receives a report on the IPS officer.
“If an official is detained or put behind bars for more than 48 hours, it is natural for the department to begin the process for his suspension,” the sources said.
Pramod was arrested by CBI in Delhi last week for allegedly taking nearly Rs3 crore from directors of Paazee to hush up the scam in which investors were duped of hundreds of crores of rupees promising a high rate of interest.
Hinting that the officer made new disclosures during interrogation, a senior CBI officer said the agency would have to dig deeper to understand possible involvement of other influential people in the scam.
Pramod in judicial custody till May 17
IPS officer Pramod Kumar, who has been grilled by CBI sleuths for the last five days, was remanded to judicial custody till May 17 on Tuesday.
Pramod was arrested on May 2 by CBI sleuths in New Delhi for extorting Rs 2.85 crore from the accused of Paazee Forex Trading Firm in Tirupur, to hush up the multi-crore scam. The tainted top cop was lodged at the Coimbatore Central Prison on Tuesday evening.
Pramod was subjected to a medical examination at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital at around 10.30 am before being produced at the CBI court.
Pramod’s advocate Sandeep Kumar said that the blood pressure and ECG of the officer has been abnormal and hence he needed to be treated at a private hospital. However, judge V. Ramasamy did not entertain his plea and ordered that prison doctors treat him.
Another plea from Sandeep to lodge Pramod at the Puzhal Prison in Chennai for safety reasons was also not entertained by the judge.
Moreover, he sought that the court allot him A class in the prison.
The judge, however, said that it would be left to the discretion of the prison authorities.
Pramod’s bail plea hearing, which was supposed to be on Tuesday, was adjourned to Wednesday after CBI sleuths said that they need another day to file a counter petition.
Meanwhile, senior lawyer C. Gnanabharathi moved a petition at the court here, on behalf of K. Mohanraj, 30, one of the directors of Paazee Forex Trading Firm, requesting the court to not grant bail to Pramod.
“If Pramod goes out on bail, there are chances that he might influence witnesses to turn hostile,” Gnanabharathi said.