ASI gets four-year jail in bribery case

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 3

Coming down heavily on corrupt police officers, the court of Special CBI Judge Sushil Kumar Garg today awarded rigorous imprisonment (RI) of four years to ASI Davinder Kumar of the UT police in a Rs 3,500 bribery case.

While pronouncing the verdict, the Judge said, “Corrupt police officers can be divided into two categories — meat eaters, who aggressively misuse the police power for personal gain, and grass eaters, simply accept the payoffs that the happenstances of police work throw their way.”

“Corruption in the Police Department affects society, including political, economical and sociological. The cancer of corruption in police very often jeopardises constitutional governance and acts as catalyst in the violation of civil and human rights of the citizens. Therefore, to curb the menace of corruption in the society, strict action is required against police officials who generate distrust in the police department,” he added.

Pleading leniency, Davinder Kumar stated that he had an unblemished record of service before registration of the present case and three family members, to support. He stated that he was on the verge of retirement and prayed for a lenient view.

Public Prosecutor KP Singh argued that to check corruption, it was a need of the hour to award exemplary punishment to the public servant found indulging in corrupt practices. Taking lenient view in a corruption case would send a wrong message to the undesirable elements in the society.

After hearing the arguments, the court sentenced him to undergo RI for four years. A fine of Rs 40,000 was also imposed on the convict. 

According to the prosecution, in a complaint to the CBI on May 21, 2013, Amandeep Singh stated that he had visited a kiryana store in the evening and bought cold drinks and patties. He gave a Rs 500 currency note to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper said the note was fake and asked for his voter ID. The police were called to the spot.

The SHO of the Sector 19 police station reached the spot and the shopkeeper handed over the note and the voter ID card to him. Amandeep was taken to the police station where ASI Davinder Kumar interrogated him and asked about the fake currency note.

The complainant told him that he had no knowledge about the fake currency, following which the ASI asked him to visit the police station next evening and collect his voter ID card.

The next day, the ASI told Amandeep that the note was found to be fake during verification. The cop threatened him that he would land in jail for 10 years. He also abused the complainant and demanded Rs 5,000 for settling the matter. 

Following this, Amandeep approached the CBI. The complainant was asked to bargain the bribe amount. A trap was laid on May 29, 2013, and the ASI was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 3,500.