ASI, constable held for graft in Abohar

The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Krishan Lal and constable Raj Kumar, both posted at the City Police Station-1 in Fazilka district’s Abohar, for demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹15,000.

The accused cops have been arrested on the complaint of Bheem Sain, a resident of Bazidpur Kattianwali village in Fazilka.

Disclosing this here on Tuesday, an official spokesperson of the VB said the complainant approached the VB police station, Ferozepur Range, alleging that the accused ASI informed him via a phone call on March 17, 2023, that a woman had lodged a molestation complaint against him.

The next day, he went to the City Police Station-1, Abohar, along with constable Raj Kumar, who is also a resident of his village.

The complainant alleged that the ASI demanded a bribe of ₹1 lakh for settling the molestation complaint against him. The deal was struck at ₹50,000 and he took ₹20,000 the same day, Sain alleged.

After this, the accused cops started compelling him to pay the remaining bribe amount. So, he paid ₹15,000 more via Google Pay to the constable on March 26, 2023. When the complainant asked for a copy of the compromise documents, the accused demanded the remaining ₹15,000, he alleged.

The spokesperson said after a preliminary investigation of the complaint, a VB unit laid a trap and arrested the accused ASI and constable red-handed while accepting the final ₹15,000 instalment from the complainant in the presence of two official witnesses.

Both have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB Police Station in Ferozepur Range. Further investigation is under progress.