ASI, Home Guard held in Rs 1 lakh bribery case

An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) attached to Mancheswar Police Station and a Home Guard driver have been arrested for allegedly accepting a total bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a complainant in exchange for returning two seized mobile phones and extending favours in a criminal case, Odisha Vigilance said on Thursday.

The accused have been identified as Rajesh Kullu, ASI of Mancheswar Police Station under the Bhubaneswar Urban Police District (UPD), and Jyoti Ranjan Behera, a Home Guard driver attached to the police station. They were arrested on the night of June 17 in connection with a case registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

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According to Vigilance, Kullu, who was the Investigating Officer (IO) in the complainant’s case, had demanded Rs 1 lakh to facilitate the return of two seized mobile phones and provide favourable assistance in the investigation. He had allegedly collected Rs 80,000 from the complainant in two earlier instalments.

When the complainant approached the ASI again on June 17 for the release of the mobile phones, Kullu allegedly demanded the remaining Rs 20,000 and instructed him to hand over the money to Behera.

Acting on the complaint, Odisha Vigilance laid a trap outside Mancheswar Police Station. As allegedly directed by the ASI, Behera came out of the police station and accepted the Rs 20,000 bribe from the complainant.

On spotting the Vigilance team, Behera allegedly threw the tainted cash into nearby bushes and attempted to flee along with Kullu. Both were apprehended after a brief chase, Vigilance officials said.

The entire bribe amount of Rs 20,000 was recovered and seized during the operation.

Following the arrests, the competent authority dismissed Kullu from service, the Vigilance said, adding that further investigation into the case is in progress.