Four-year jail for Chandigarh cop in 2016 graft case
The court of special CBI judge Alka Malik also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on Raj Kumar, who was convicted under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act
A head constable found guilty in a 2016 graft case has been sentenced to four years in prison by a special CBI court.
The court of special CBI judge Alka Malik also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on Raj Kumar, who was convicted under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
While pronouncing the verdict, the court ruled that the facts of the instant case and the manner in which the convict had very clandestinely demanded and accepted the bribe from the complainant, who himself was a public servant, goes to establish his intention.
“It shall be absolutely relevant to mention here that corruption by public servants has reached such a monstrous stage that the institutions which have been created for the purpose of serving the public are thwarting the very purpose of the same. Such like behaviour of corrupt public servants is in fact paralysing the functioning of the public institutions, thereby hindering the very democratic polity of the state,” said the court.
The court added that a public servant, while posted as head constable at the Sector 31 police station, had indulged in corrupt practices and raised the unethical demand of bribe from the complainant and accepted the same instead of resolving the matter in accordance with law. Hence, he deserves to be punished. “The accused police officer, instead of performing his duties diligently and truthfully, resorted to unethical means, thereby demanding bribes, has in fact created a blot on the institution itself,” remarked the court.
As per the prosecution, Ram Darbar resident Anil had complained to CBI on December 23, 2016, that he, Akhilesh and Vikas had a fight over a minor issue. He and his friend Avinash had tried to intervene. On receiving information about the fight, Sector-31 police station head constable Rajkumar reached the spot and took all four of them to the police station.
Anil alleged that the head constable started threatening to register a case against all four of them and demanded a bribe of ₹20,000 to avoid the case.
In January 2017, CBI set a trap outside the Sector-31 police station and arrested the head constable Rajkumar while taking a bribe of ₹5,000 from Anil.
Special public prosecutor for CBI urged the court that the behaviour of the accused, who was working as a head constable in Chandigarh Police, was a stark reminder of the corrosive influence of corruption and the dangers of unchecked power. Therefore, to uphold the rule of law and ensuring that those who abuse their position of trust are held accountable, the convict should be dealt with sternly. He further urged that the manner in which he had demanded bribe from complainant by putting pressure while preparing wrong arrest and personal search memos, thereby undermining the authority of a police officer, deserves strict punishment to deter like-minded public servants.
