The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has caught a police head constable posted at Koday Police Station while allegedly accepting a Rs 70,000 bribe from a citizen for the release of seized dump trucks.
Trucks seized under BNSS
According to the ACB, the complainant's Eicher dump trucks, loaded with minerals, were seized by Koday police under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The seizure was reported to the Geology Department in Bhuj and the court.
The complainant subsequently obtained orders from the Geologist in Bhuj and the Mandvi Court for the release of the vehicles.
Bribe demand of Rs 2 lakh
However, when he approached Chaudhary, the investigating officer in the case, at the police station to secure their release, the head constable allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh.
Following negotiations, the amount was reduced to Rs 1 lakh. The complainant initially paid Rs 30,000 in cash, while the remaining Rs 70,000 was to be paid later, following which the vehicle keys would be handed over.
Complainant approaches ACB
Unwilling to pay the remaining bribe, the complainant approached the Bhuj ACB and lodged a complaint. Acting on it, the bureau laid a trap and caught Chaudhary while allegedly accepting the remaining Rs 70,000.
The accused, identified as Vipulbhai Daljibhai Chaudhary, 32, was caught red-handed during an ACB trap operation at Koday Police Station on November 7. The bureau recovered the entire Rs 70,000 bribe amount from him.
Trap laid at Koday police station
The trap was conducted by Police Inspector J.J. Chaudhari of the Bhuj ACB Police Station and his team.
The head constable was caught while allegedly accepting the bribe at the police station, and the ACB recovered the full amount from him.
