Non-cooperation in police probe lands man in community service

Mysuru: A Chamarajanagar court has directed a man to perform community service at the Cyber Crime police station in Chamarajanagar city for failing to cooperate during a mule account verification inquiry.According to a press release issued by the department of information and public relations, the incident occurred when Anand, a resident of Kottalavadi village in Chamarajanagar taluk and an employee of a private company, appeared before Cyber Crime police along with his mother on Wednesday. He was asked to visit the station as part of an ongoing verification drive of mule accounts — bank accounts used by cybercriminal networks to receive and transfer illicit funds.The verification exercise is being conducted across the district under the directions of the DGP (cyber command wing). As part of the process, police personnel contacted Anand's mother and instructed her to appear at the station with relevant documents.However, during the inquiry, Anand allegedly behaved in an unruly manner, spoke loudly and irrelevantly, and refused to provide proper documentation related to the suspected mule account. He also allegedly failed to cooperate with police during the verification process. Police summoned his mother to record the statement. The mule account was opened in her name, the release said.Following his conduct, a petty case was registered against him under the provisions of the Karnataka Police Act, 1965. A chargesheet was subsequently submitted before the court.Hearing the matter, the civil judge (senior division) and chief judicial magistrate (CJM) ordered Anand to undertake community service at the Cyber Crime police station for two days. As per the order, he must assist police between 10am and 5pm by courteously receiving visitors, guiding them and helping in recording statements of mule account holders.