Syed Riyazathullah in SIT net, Ashwin next?
He was picked up by a team of SIT officials from a hospital in Koramangala
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-27 06:51 GMT
BENGALURU: In a major breakthrough, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Lokayukta corruption case, arrested Joint Commissioner of Police (Public Relations), Lokayukta, Syed Riyazathullah on Sunday afternoon.
Riyaz, who allegedly played a key role in the extortion racket, was picked up by a team of SIT officials from a hospital in Koramangala on Sunday afternoon. From there, he was taken to the SIT office located on the CID premises. It is said that he will be produced before the Lokayukta Special Court on Monday morning and the officials will request for his police custody for further questioning.
An official in the SIT, on condition of anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle that Riyaz had gone to Mecca after his name surfaced in the scam. “He returned to Bengaluru on July 19 and two days ago, he got admitted to Acura Specialty Hospital in Koramangala. Based on credible information, a team of officials from the SIT went to the hospital on Sunday afternoon and picked him up. From there, he was taken to Victoria Hospital, where the doctors said he did not need any treatment.
He was later brought to the SIT office,” the official said. The officials grilled Riyaz on his involvement in the scam till late in the night on Sunday. Some of Riyaz’s family members and relatives, who had gone to give him dinner and fruits, were at the CID office.
Riyaz, who joined the police department as a police sub-inspector, had been with the Lokayukta institution for the last 16 years. He was promoted to the rank of Joint Commissioner. It is alleged that he got the post after he threatened a top official with Lokayukta raids.
Riyaz, who is said to be the mastermind of the racket, had allegedly set up three to four gangs to run the scam. His agents allegedly made random calls to public servants and extorted money. As the investigation started heating up, Riyaz applied for leave and left for Mecca. He was also trying to extend his leave till this month-end, but the Registrar of Lokayukta rejected his leave application. The SIT officials had issued a lookout circular against him across all the international airports in the country.