Kharagpur, Nov. 1: Kharagpur police have started a criminal case against former East Midnapore superintendent of police G.A. Srinivas on the basis of complaints filed by scrap “mafioso” B. Rambabu and his mother Kamala Bai.

Srinivas — one of the two police officers who had ordered the March 14 firing in Nandigram and were shunted out yesterday — has been accused of demanding money to get the Kharagpur-based Rambabu, arrested in a murder case, released from jail.

Srinivas was also accused of forcing Rambabu’s wife to meet him. Kamala Bai, who had yesterday dismissed the allegation as “baseless”, today told the police that the complaint had been lodged “by my son on my behalf”.

Rambabu’s wife, who was questioned along with her mother-in-law, denied that the former SP had forced her to meet him. “I had to meet G.A. Srinivas in connection with my husband’s case. There is nothing more to it,” she said.

“Srinivas has been charged with wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation,” an officer at Kharagpur police station said.

Raj Kanojia, the inspector-general of police in charge of law and order, said he had been told about the complaints, lodged on October 26 and October 29. “It they are true, we will take cognisance of the matter in due course.”