Patna: A Bihar police constable has crossed the state's borders in demanding money from drivers of sand-laden trucks.

The constable in question, Parvez Khan, was detained by Uttar Pradesh police for over four hours for alleged extortion of drivers of sand-laden trucks entering UP from Bihar. Other policemen, who were spotted carrying out the vehicle-checking drive, however, managed to flee.

A team from Durgawati police station in Bihar's Kaimur district entered the area falling under the jurisdiction of Sayedraza police station in Chandauli district of UP on Friday night. They deflated tyres of trucks whose drivers refused to oblige them.

Some of the drivers later complained to senior police officials in UP, who, in turn, asked the station house officer of Sayedraza police station to verify the charge. The UP police caught Khan about 1km inside UP from the Karmanasa bridge on the Bihar-UP border.

The station house officer (SHO) of Sayedraza police station, Surendra Pratap Singh, said Khan told him he was a contract driver of the Bihar police and was deputed at Durgawati police station in Kaimur district. The UP police also recovered Rs 1,800 in cash from his possession.

A sub-inspector and at least two constables who were part of the patrolling team fled after seeing the UP police team, the Sayedraza SHO said, adding that they reached the spot after receiving complaints from truck operators.

Khan, however, denied the allegation and said he had crossed the border as he not aware of the limits of the state. "I'm new to this region. I didn't have any idea of the jurisdiction," he told interrogators.

The SHO of Sayedraza police station said senior Bihar police officials were apprised of the matter and the constable was let off after a warning. His Durgawati counterpart Alok Kumar confirmed a patrolling team was engaged in vehicle checking.

The Sayedraza SHO said a police Gypsy bearing registration number BR-45P-7501 and its driver Khan were released around midnight after lodging a station diary at the police station. "Prima facie the allegation against the Bihar cops appears to be true," he told The Telegraph over phone.

Durgawati SHO Alok said that a police team led by sub-inspector Upendra Kumar Yadav was sent to the spot to remove the traffic snarl on the road leading to UP. "They might have crossed the border mistakenly," he said. Kaimur superintendent of police Mohammad Faroguddin said an inquiry had been ordered.

"Action will be initiated against the cops if the allegations are found to be true," he said.