ASI caught taking bribe of Rs 8,000 in Jalandhar
Investigation on
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing drive against corruption in the state, has caught Assistant Sub-Inspector Gopal Singh posted at Police Division No. 2 Commissionerate Jalandhar, red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 8,000.
A spokesperson of the state VB said the accused had been arrested on a complaint lodged by a resident of Gandhi Camp.
He said the complainant works as an astrologer and the police had arrested his neighbour Vijay Raj, alias Pali. Subsequently, the complainant visited Police Station Division No. 2 along with the sister of Vijay Raj and the locality president where they came to know that a drug case had been registered against Vijay Raj.
He further said two days later, the accused ASI called the complainant and warned him that if he did not come to the police station and meet him, his name would also be included in the case. When the complainant's younger brother Balwant and locality president Amit Kumar met the accused ASI at Police Station Division No. 2, the accused demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000 for not implicating the complainant in the case.
On the request of Balwant and Amit Kumar, the accused reduced the bribe amount to Rs 20,000. Under compulsion, they paid Rs 10,000 to the accused on the spot. However, the accused was pressuring them to pay the remaining bribe of Rs 10,000. After they expressed their inability to pay the remaining amount, the accused agreed to accept Rs 8,000 at a later stage. The complainant had recorded the conversation regarding the demand for the bribe.
Unwilling to pay any illegal gratification, the complainant approached the VB range, Jalandhar. After a preliminary inquiry, the VB team laid a trap during which the accused ASI was caughtd red-handed accepting the bribe money of Rs 8,000 from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at VB police station, Jalandhar, and further investigation into this case is under progress.
