Wayanad: The Crime Branch arrested former Vythiri Station House Officer (SHO) Anilkumar C R in connection with the alleged siphoning off of ₹3.37 lakh, believed to be 'pipe money', in September last year.

The former SHO had seized the money from a man from Chundel who had reportedly brought the cash to hand it over to a person from Malappuram. A case was subsequently registered at the Vythiri Police Station in September 2025. Although the man had been told he would be called for questioning, he received no further intimation from the police station. Growing suspicious, he later submitted a complaint to the District Superintendent of Police, which led to an internal inquiry.

Officials said the police team had neither submitted a report on the seizure of the unaccounted money nor conducted any further investigation. When the incident came to light, the then Wayanad Superintendent of Police Taposh Basumatari conducted the initial probe and recommended the SHO's suspension for failing to report the seizure.

The other personnel suspended were Additional Sub-Inspector Bineesh and Senior Civil Police Officers Abdul Shukkoor and Abdul Majeed.

Although Anilkumar had earlier obtained a stay order against his arrest, the order expired recently. He surrendered before the Crime Branch investigation officer in Kozhikode on Monday. His arrest was then recorded and he was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kalpetta, which remanded him to judicial custody at Vythiri prison.

The Crime Branch had also arrested two others in connection with the pipe money scam- Riyas, a native of Vythiri, and Vishnu, a native of Kalpetta.