Rs 1000 bribe lands policeman in jail for 2.5 yrs

A Delhi policeman was sentenced today to two and half years in jail and a fine of Rs 10,000 for taking a bribe of Rs 1,000.

"The instant case demonstrates modalities of corruption adopted by police officials," said Special Judge B R Kedia, while sentencing 53-year-old Ashok Kumar after convicting him for traking the bribe.

The case was logded by Anti-Corruption Branch in 2007 on the complaint of one Darshana Devi.

Darshana had accused Kumar, who was then posted as a head constable at Nangloi police station in west Delhi, of harassing her and demanding bribe.

She said she had given some money to one Sri Bhagwan, then a driver with a sub-divisional magistrate, for getting her son's friend suitably employed but demanded back her money when he failed to keep his promise.

On this, Sri Bhagwan threatened her and informally asked Head Constable Kumar to stop Darshana from asking him for her money.

Kumar, in turn, reached Darshana's house on February 27, 2007 and asked her and her son to accompany him to the police station, where he made them sit for hours and asked them to pay Rs 5,000 to get back home.

Kumar eventually allowed them to get back home after they promised to pay him Rs 1000.
Darshana however, made a complaint with the ACB, whih caught Kumar red-handed in a trap.