Chennai, Aug 6:
Following the arrest of a Police Inspector on charges of extorting several lakhs from a businessman by threatening to implicate him in a murder case, the city police have initiated a wider probe and will question other personnel who were part of the special investigation team.
Another Inspector, T Saravanan, who was part of the team that probed the murder of a BSP leader, has been transferred to vacancy reserve by the city police top brass after complaints surfaced against him.
Inspector Muhammed Buhari, attached to the St Thomas Mount Police Station, was arrested on Monday after a businessman alleged that the officer had been demanding money from him for the past two years. The complaint stated that Buhari threatened to implicate the businessman in the case, citing a mobile number linked to him that had surfaced during the investigation into the murder.
Police sources said the extortion allegations are being taken seriously, and other members of the special team involved in the probe are likely to be questioned as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Buhari had earlier been part of key operations linked to the case, including a police shooting in July 2024 in which a suspect, Thiruvenkadam, was shot dead. He was also involved in another police encounter in March 2025, where a suspect in a series of chain-snatching cases in Chennai was killed.
Senior officials said further action would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry, as the department moves to address allegations of misconduct within its ranks.