Raipur:
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Bilaspur unit, on Sunday caught a police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) red-handed while allegedly accepting a ₹20,000 bribe in Sakti district.
The accused, identified as S.N. Mishra, was posted at Chandrapur police station. He had allegedly demanded ₹40,000 from a local resident in exchange for providing relief in a criminal case.
According to ACB officials, complainant Shiv Prasad Bareth, a resident of Balpur village, approached the bureau’s Bilaspur office alleging that an assault case had been registered against him and his family members at Chandrapur police station on the complaint of Saraswati Jaiswal. Bareth alleged that ASI Mishra demanded money to ensure that no stringent action was taken against his family in the case.
During verification of the complaint, the ACB found that the accused had already accepted the first instalment of ₹20,000. Following this, the bureau laid a trap to apprehend the officer.
As per the plan, the complainant called Mishra to Guddu Dhaba in Chandrapur on May 10 to hand over the remaining ₹20,000. The ACB team caught the ASI immediately after he accepted the cash and recovered the bribe amount from his possession.
Officials said the bureau had also received prior inputs from informers regarding the officer’s alleged involvement in corrupt activities.
A case has been registered against the accused under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The ACB said its crackdown against corruption in government departments would continue and appealed to citizens to report any demand for bribes by public servants.
