Surat: A lower-rung police officer here landed in police net after he was found to have allegedly amassed assets worth over Rs 3 crore, 800 per cent more than his known sources of income, police said today.
Under the FIR in corruption case last month, Assistant Sub-Inspector Prakash Patil was booked under relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly possessing assets which were disproportionate by 284.4 per cent.
"In last 20 days of investigation, Rs 3 crore 20 lakh worth property belonging to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Surat (Rural) Police, Prakash Patil has come on record.”
"We have found that Patil owns properties that are valued 800 per cent more (compared) to his known sources of income. This is based on the property registered documents scrutinised by us. Investigation is still going on," Assistant Superintendent of Police (Dangs) Manish Singh, who is investigating the case, said.
Incidentally, Patil is currently under suspension for his alleged role in recent hooch tragedy at Vareli village in Surat district in September in which 21 people died.
Singh said the police were also probing the details of foreign visits undertaken by Patil in the past. "We also suspect his role in money laundering, but this is a matter of further investigation which is going on," the officer said.
Patil was booked for his alleged links with bootleggers in the wake of the hooch incident.
During the alleged corruption probe, police found that Patil's son Pankaj Patil (27) had allegedly spent Rs 81 lakh in last four years and also owns three residential apartments, one in Pune and two in Surat.
According to police, Pankaj also owns a shop in Surat and has stakes in two chemical companies and several plots of land.
The ASI' wife Mandaben, a homemaker, also owns a residential apartment and plots of land in her name, police said.
Patil, who joined police force in 1984, was working as ASI with parole/furlough squad of Surat (rural) police before he was suspended.
The hooch case was briefly investigated by local police, before it was handed over to state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
