Four Karnataka police officers, including an inspector, were detained for alleged extortion by their Keralan colleagues. The four had come to the state, according to a Kerala Police officer, in order to apprehend two suspects in a fraud case that had been reported in Karnataka. The two suspects were eventually located and taken into custody, and they allegedly requested money to release them. The four Karnataka policemen were detained after the local police received a complaint from the fiancee of one of the two suspects. The incident took place in Kochi.

The Karnataka Police delegation arrived in Kochi on August 1 to detain two males, Akhil and Nikhil, in connection with a case of online bitcoin fraud that occurred in Karnataka, according to the Kerala Police. The four Karnataka Police officers who had detained the suspects allegedly sought Rs. 25 lakh from each of them before releasing them.

According to reports, one of the suspects paid Rs. 1 lakh, while the other paid Rs. 2.95 lakh. With the assistance of his fiancée, one of them reported the incident to the Kerala Police. The Karnataka Police personnel were seized by Kerala police, who also recovered Rs 3.95 lakh from their car.

A top officer from the Karnataka Police has arrived in Kochi to look into the situation, and more inquiry is being conducted.  Assistant Commissioner Baby P V said that the state police were in contact with the Karnataka police to confirm the identity of the officers being held and the reason for their journey to Kochi. On the basis of that, additional action would be taken.