On Monday, three officers from the Karnataka Police were suspended following the leak of a conference call in which they allegedly discussed bribery related to sub-inspector appointments and transfer transactions. The incident gained attention after it was shared on social media.

M N Deepan, the Superintendent of Police for Uttara Kannada, confirmed the suspension of sub-inspectors Kiran Patil, Krishna Arageri, and Vinod Reddy after an initial investigation conducted by an additional superintendent of police.

Deepan noted that an internal investigation into the officers would proceed. He stated, “We are actively looking into the bribery allegations mentioned during the conference call,” in comments made to indianexpress.com.

According to police sources, Vinod Reddy had previously been stationed in Haliyal before his transfer to Mundgod and later served with the Special Investigation Team in Beltangady. Kiran Patil was also based in Haliyal, while Krishna Arageri worked in the crime division there.

The leaked conversation reportedly included discussions about regular kickbacks or commissions that officers allegedly pay to their superiors.

The opposition party, JD(S), released a two-minute audio clip online on August 29, accusing the police of corruption in their posting practices and calling for the officers’ suspension along with a comprehensive investigation into the claims.

The police indicated that the ongoing departmental inquiry would thoroughly investigate the allegations, including the financial matters discussed during the call, with any subsequent actions dependent on the inquiry’s outcomes.