Gorakhpur, Apr 10 (IANS): A police officer in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district was arrested and suspended on Tuesday for not disclosing the alleged unaccounted cash he recovered from the vehicle of a local trader during a checking drive on April 3, the police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Gaurav Grover, said that based on inputs received in initial confidential inquiry report, police officer Alok Singh and two other policemen have been suspended.

Singh was deputed at Beni Ganj police post under Kotwali police station of the district.

During a vehicle checking drive at Charan Lal Chowk on April 3, Singh seized Rs 85 lakh cash from the vehicle of trader Naveen Srivastav and his brother Gagan Srivastav, both residents of Lala Tolia under Tiwaripur police station of the district.

The traders later approached the police officer with relevant papers to get back their money.

Singh gave them Rs 35 lakh but refused to return the remaining Rs 50 lakh.

Gagan then approached Superintendent of Police (SP) city, Krishna Kumar, with his complaint.

The SP city confirmed that Rs 44 lakh was recovered from possession of the police officer on Tuesday.

Alok Singh had seized Rs 85 lakh from the traders and had threatened to send them to jail in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and in the transaction of Hawala money, the SP city said.

In his complaint, Gagan Srivastav said the money belonged to one politician of Deoria district and they were going to hand it over to a trader at Nautanva town of Maharajganj district when police seized it.