Police are known for maintaining law and order. They ensure that the streets of their community are safe, reducing the fear of crime and improving the overall quality of life of the citizens. But sometimes the police department has to face criticisms if any officer is caught taking a bribe. This is what happened with a police officer in Rajasthan who was arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 80,000.
The shocking incident took place on 9 December. DCP Bherulal Meena, posted in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Sawai Madhopur, delivered a speech against bribery on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December. He termed the act to be criminal and asked the citizens to call 1064 to file a complaint against officials indulging in such misdeeds.
Merely an hour after his public address, Meena was caught red-handed by an ACB team from Jaipur taking a bribe of Rs 80,000 from a District Transport Officer (DTO) named Mahesh Chand in Sawaimadhopur.
B L Soni, Directorate-General of ACB Rajasthan, revealed that Meena had been given the responsibilities of the outpost of the agency in Sawai Madhopur. The officer had been demanding bribes from DTO Mahesh Chand on a monthly basis.
It has been learnt that the ACB officials in Jaipur had been receiving complaints against him for the past few months. After verifying these complaints, the trap was laid and the accused officer was arrested under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
ADG, ACB Dinesh MN said that the agency headquarters had been receiving complaints against Meena for the past 2-3 months.
“We verified the complaint and a trap was laid. A team led by Add SP ACB Pushpendra Singh went to Sawaimadhopur from Jaipur to organize the trap,” said Dinesh MN.
He added that Meena was caught red-handed accepting Rs 80,000 from Mahesh Chand. DTO was also arrested as both accepting and offering bribe are an offense under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
“Meena and Mahesh Chand were arrested. We are carrying out searches at his residences, offices and other places belonging to them. Further investigation is going on,” said the officer.
