The city police have booked a recruit trainee at Kerala Armed Police Battalion - 3 on charges of cheating fellow trainees of more than ₹7 lakh. Peroorkada police have filed the case against Sambhu R Krishnan with KAP-3, Pathanamthitta based on a complaint filed by the Commanding Officer, B Company, Special Armed Police Battalion, Peroorkada. 

As per the complaint, Sambhu collected ₹7 lakh from recruits to purchase uniform. He allegedly spent the money on an online betting game and when the uniform delivery was delayed, senior officials grew suspicious and registered a complaint with the police. 

Sambhu collected money from the police recruit trainees of KAP-3 and KAP-5 battalions at Peroorkada under the pretext of procuring uniform cloth from the SAP Dry Canteen and paying for tailoring at Wilson Allied Police Uniform Society. Accordingly, he collected ₹7,18,320 from several trainees between July 3 and 13, according to the Peroorkada police.

The money was meant to be deposited with the police dry canteen and a society responsible for stitching the uniforms, police said.

However, instead of depositing the amount, the trainee officer allegedly used the money to play an online betting game, hoping to make a profit, but lost the money, the FIR states. The case was registered under Section 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with cheating.

The alleged fraud came to light after a senior commanding officer learned about the incident and lodged a complaint with the police. Police said statements of those involved were currently being recorded. Further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.