T’puram: A police trainee of Kerala Armed Police (KAP) third battalion has been removed from training after allegedly misappropriating Rs 7.18 lakh collected from colleagues for purchasing uniforms.The action was taken against Shambhu R Krishnan, who was a member of the uniform committee at the training camp. His colleagues had transferred the money to his account for purchasing uniforms.However, instead of using the funds for the intended purpose, Krishnan allegedly spent the entire amount on online gaming and lost the money.The alleged fraud came to light when colleagues questioned him after the uniforms were not supplied. He reportedly admitted that the money had been lost through online gaming.The police said Krishnan was a member of a seven-member uniform panel and allegedly told recruit trainees that money for uniform materials and stitching could be deposited with the SAP canteen and Wilson Allied Police Uniform Society.Between July 3 and 13, several trainees allegedly transferred money to bank accounts linked to Krishnan. Recruits from different batches made the payment, ranging from Rs 2,200 to Rs 60,000.Following a complaint from his colleagues, Peroorkada police took Krishnan into custody from the training camp in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was undergoing training, and recorded his arrest. He has subsequently been removed from the training programme.
