Former Sussex Police officer who was convicted of perverting the course of justice dismissed from the force

A former Sussex police officer has been dismissed from the force after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and a number of other fraud related offences in January this year.

Former PC Seren Sriganesh, 23, was the subject of an accelerated misconduct hearing held at Sussex Police headquarters on 24 April chaired by Sussex Assistant Chief Constable Paul Court.

An accelerated misconduct hearing is held when there is incontrovertible evidence and it is in the public interest to remove the officer from service as soon as possible, or in the case of an ex-officer, to have them placed on the barred list.

The former officer, who was based at Brighton, had admitted the offences after being charged following an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC). He was jailed on 21 March for 38 months and disqualified from driving for two years, following his release from prison. 

He had also admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, fraud by failing to disclose information, and unlawfully obtaining personal data. A further charge of fraud by failing to disclose information was agreed to lie on file. 

The offences happened between September 2020 and February 2024 when the former officer falsely nominated his parents as responsible for three separate driving offences and unlawfully accessed police systems to view details of one of these offences. Sriganesh also failed to declare he had six or more penalty points on his license prior to joining the force in June 2023, and did not disclose these points to his motor insurers.    

The panel found that his behaviour was a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, and he would have been dismissed if he had been a serving officer with the force. He will now be added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

ACC Court said: “The public rightly expect and deserve high standards from their police officers. Former PC Seren Sriganesh's criminal behaviour and conduct goes against the fundamental principles of policing and was thoroughly investigated by the forces' Anti-Corruption Unit under the direction of the IOPC resulting in a criminal conviction and sentence.”