Mysuru: RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna has written to the  Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) Dr. Alok Mohan, urging legal action against Shailendra Kumar, Commandant of the Karnataka Armed Reserve Police (KARP) Mounted Company in Mysuru, for allegedly extorting money from trainees.

According to the complaint, Shailendra Kumar ordered the collection of Rs. 500 per month from each of the 224 band trainees assigned to KARP, who were divided into five sections. A trainee from each section was tasked with collecting money from their peers.

Snehamayi Krishna’s complaint further claims that V. Mahesh, a Constable from the 2nd Battalion in Belagavi (No. 15), was responsible for collecting the funds from all sections and handing it over to Stanley Kiran of the English Band, who then passed the money on to Shailendra Kumar.

A WhatsApp group for each section was allegedly created for this purpose. Along with the complaint, Snehamayi Krishna has provided an audio recording of the conversations in these groups, which could serve as evidence in an investigation.

While some trainees made payments via UPI apps, others paid in cash, alleged the complaint. Bank records related to Constable Mahesh’s account, which was used for collecting the money, may offer additional proof, the letter to the DGP said.

The complaint also alleges that Shailendra Kumar instructed the trainees to pay Rs. 2,000 each to receive their completion certificates after passing the probation period. Those who failed to pay were reportedly denied certificates, the complaint stated.

In light of these allegations, Snehamayi Krishna has called for a preliminary inquiry and the registration of a case against Shailendra Kumar, urging swift legal action to address corruption within the Police Department.