Bhubaneswar, March 13: Four home guards and one special police officer (SPO) have been put under suspension and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against them following allegations of extorting money from shopkeepers from Nayapalli.

According to police sources, the accused were spotted demanding money near Saliasahi while they were on patrol duty in one of the police control room (PCR) vans of the Nayapalli police station. They were put under suspension after their activities came to the notice of the senior police officers.

Senior police officers have set up a team to inquire into the matter. The team met the traders of the area and inquired about the incident. “The preliminary inquiry report has been forwarded to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) for action,” said a police officer.

As the matter was under investigation, the police did not give the names of the erring policemen. “We are looking into the matter and are waiting for the inquiry report. Only after getting the inquiry report can we take legal action against them,” said DCP Himanshu Lal.

Sources said that the policemen deployed in the control room van demanded money from the traders of the Saliasahi Square. “After the van halted there, the home guards came to us and demanded money. They first demanded money from a fast food vendor. The vendor gave them some money but the amount did not satisfy the home guards. Then they dragged him to the police van,” said a vendor of the area.

Around 200 vendors have set their shops in that area and most of them echoed the same allegation. “It is their regular activity to demand extortion money. Whenever we fail to give them their ‘share’, we have to face their wrath,” said another vendor.