Wayanad (Kerala) | A robbery case has been registered against the Station House Officer (SHO) of Vythiri police station and two policemen for allegedly assaulting three youngsters and snatching Rs 3.37 lakh, suspected to be hawala money, in Wayanad district, police said on Sunday.

The accused officers—SHO Anil Kumar and Senior Civil Police Officers (SCPOs) Abdul Shukoor and Abdul Majeed—have been suspended pending investigation.

According to the FIR, the victims—Muhammad Jinas, Sinan Pandikkad and Sinan Cherooppa, all from Kondotty in Malappuram— were intercepted by the police team around 2.30 pm on September 15 at Vythiri. The officers allegedly seized Rs 3.37 lakh from them, forced them into a police vehicle and later assaulted them at a tea plantation.

The youngsters, who were admitted to the hospital, later filed a complaint with the Wayanad District Police Chief. A team led by Kalpetta deputy SP conducted a preliminary probe and found the allegations genuine, officials said.

Police added that the victims are suspected of having come to Vythiri for a hawala transaction.

The accused officers are absconding, and efforts are being made to trace them.

The case has been registered under sections 309(4), 115(2), 351(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the FIR said.