Ex-PC jailed over driving offences fraud

A former Sussex police officer has been jailed after falsely claiming his parents had committed his three driving offences.

Seren Sriganesh, 23 also unlawfully accessed police systems to view details of one of the offences, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

Sriganesh, of Ham Road in Shoreham-by-Sea, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Friday to 38 months' imprisonment.

IOPC director Emily Barry said Sriganesh, a former Brighton and Hove-based officer, had "flagrantly and repeatedly" broken the law "for his own personal gain".

She said: "The public have a right to expect police officers to act with honesty and integrity, and it is a gross breach of trust when they break the law."

The offences took place between September 2020 and February 2024, the IPOC said.

Sriganesh pleaded guilty in January this year to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information, and unlawfully obtaining personal data, according to the watchdog.

A further charge of fraud by failing to disclose information was agreed to lie on file.

His parents, 52-year-old Selvana Sriganesh and 59-year old Narayanamoorthy Sriganesh, both of New Greens Avenue in St Albans, Hertfordshire, were also sentenced at the same hearing to six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months for conspiracy to pervert the court of justice.

The IOPC said the former officer also failed to declare he had six or more penalty points on his license prior to joining Sussex Police in June 2023, and did not disclose these points to his motor insurers.

Its investigation started in May 2024 following a referral from Sussex Police.

Sriganesh resigned from the force in October 2024, and the IOPC said now that criminal matters had concluded, it was a matter for Sussex Police to progress disciplinary matters.

Supt Petra Lazar said: "The public rightly expect and deserve high standards from their police officers.

"Former PC Seren Sriganesh's criminal behaviour goes against the fundamental principles of policing and was thoroughly investigated by the forces' Anti-Corruption Unit under the direction of the IOPC."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.