Two women cops caught taking bribe by VB sleuths

PATIALA:Less than a month after the Vigilance Bureau (VB) nabbed two cops posted at the Anaj Mandi police station for accepting bribe, the VB officials on Tuesday conducted a raid and nabbed in-charge Women Counselling Cell, Patiala, and another woman ASI in the same cell for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe in lieu of a matrimonial case.

Balwinder Kaur (SI) and Sukhwinder Kaur (ASI) in the custody of Vigilance Bureau officials in Patiala on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 10

Less than a month after the Vigilance Bureau (VB) nabbed two cops posted at the Anaj Mandi police station for accepting bribe, the VB officials on Tuesday conducted a raid and nabbed in-charge Women Counselling Cell, Patiala, and another woman ASI in the same cell for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe in lieu of a matrimonial case.

Vigilance Bureau officials confirmed that they had arrested the SHO of woman cell, Balwinder Kaur, and an ASI Sukhwinder Kaur, in the same cell, while allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant.

As per the complaint, Sandeep Singh had a matrimonial dispute pending at the police station and Balwinder Kaur was dilly-dallying with his case, following which Sukhwinder Kaur allegedly demanded money from him to settle the matter as per his convenience.

“Both the woman officers were demanding Rs 20,000 and later the deal was struck for Rs 15,000,” said the complainant in his complaint to the Vigilance Bureau. “The two cops were harassing me and threatening me with a dowry case filed by my estranged wife,” he said.

Vigilance Bureau officials said the two cops took Rs 5,000 in the morning, while they were caught red-handed accepting the rest of the amount Rs 10,000 in the evening from the women cell. “We have recovered Rs 5,000 paid in the morning from Balwinder Kaur,” read the FIR.

Earlier, on June 27, the Vigilance Bureau had arrested ASI Gurmeet Singh and Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the Anaj Mandi SHO, Ashok Kumar, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 14,000. In this case, the vigilance has also booked his accomplice, who is posted at the same police station.

The complainant had alleged that the both cops were threatening him to register a false case against him if he won’t give them Rs 30,000. A probe is already on to ascertain the role of senior officials from the Anaj Mandi police station, where the SHO’s PSO was also arrested in the case. The probe will establish how the lower rung officials could threaten the complainant with a FIR threat and extort money.