Bribery demands by police ‘shocking’, says Punjab and Haryana High Court

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, February 8

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has described as “shocking” the demand for bribe by police officials from the accused to “join them in the investigation” despite the pendency of the matter before the court.

Referring to the entire gamut of facts, Justice Anoop Chitkara asserted it showed the police officials lacked regard and respect even for the high court.

Justice Chitkara also made it clear that the police officers carried along with them court orders and demanded ransom and extorted money from the arrested people.

The assertions came on a petition filed by a police official apprehending arrest in an FIR registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on October 23, 2023, at Patiala Vigilance Bureau, on the allegations of demanding Rs 10 lakh in bribe.

Justice Chitkara, during the course of hearing, was told that the petitioner had already received approximately Rs 6 lakh through another police official acting as his conduit from the brother of an accused to enable him to join the investigation.

Justice Chitkara observed the case had its roots in another FIR registered at a police station in Samana under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act. The accused was directed to join the investigation after he approached the high court. But a police official told him that he would not be allowed to join the investigation by the investigator unless he paid Rs 10 lakh, which was stated to be demanded by the petitioner-police official. Intending to extort money, they even threatened that he would be “named” in another case if he did not pay and his anticipatory bail would be cancelled by the high court in such a situation.

Justice Chitkara observed there was sufficient prima facie evidence connecting the petitioner with the demand of Rs 10 lakh and receiving Rs 5, 90,000, with Rs 10,000 being received by the alleged conduit as his cut.

“It is shocking that despite the case pending before this court, these police officials dared to demand money from accused to join them in the investigation. They further threatened the accused that they would involve him in another case, jeopardising his chances of bail in the high court…. Suppose this court grants bail to the petitioner, it will send the wrong signals to such type of police officers to further misuse orders for extortion and ransom, which will not only defeat the purpose of the judiciary but would be capable of destroying the judicial system itself, which this court shall not let happen,” Justice Chitkara asserted, while turning down the bail plea.