Did Bengaluru's Cop Get Caught Taking a Bribe?
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Key Takeaways
Bengaluru, Jan 30 (NationPress) A police inspector from the K.P. Agrahara police station in Bengaluru was apprehended by Karnataka Lokayukta officials on Friday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh in exchange for dropping a suspect's name from a chit fund fraud investigation.
The officer involved has been named as Inspector Govindaraju, who was caught in the act while receiving the bribe at the CAR Grounds located on Mysuru Road.
According to Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Shivaprakash Devaraj, the inspector had previously accepted Rs 1 lakh on January 24 as part of a total demand of Rs 5 lakh linked to a case filed under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes (BUDS) Act, 2019, at the police station.
"The inspector was apprehended while accepting money from the complainant, Akbar, near the Chamarajapete CAR Ground. The bribe was allegedly requested to exonerate the suspect from the case," stated the SP.
Inspector Govindaraju has since been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act and is now in judicial custody.
Sources within the police department revealed that Inspector Govindaraju displayed aggressive behavior during his arrest and caused a scene at the time of the sting operation. A video has emerged showing the inspector in a frenzied state after being caught accepting the bribe.
The video depicts Lokayukta officials escorting him despite his hostile demeanor, with six officials seen restraining him as he became increasingly violent. He was heard shouting and creating a tumultuous scene.
Law enforcement reported that the bribe was solicited while the inspector was probing a chit fund fraud case. Before the sting operation, the inspector had proceeded to arrest the suspect linked to the case. Video footage of this arrest has also been made public.
The footage illustrates the arrest attempt at a location where the suspect resisted police action, declaring, "You have come without issuing a notice. We will consult our lawyer." The police subsequently summoned a Hoysala patrol vehicle and transported him to the station.
After reaching the station, a deal was allegedly finalized. The inspector demanded Rs 5 lakh to absolve the suspect from the case. Initially, Rs 1 lakh was collected, and later the remaining Rs 4 lakh was requested. Inspector Govindaraju was caught accepting this amount during the Lokayukta trap.