Four Ayodhya cops arrested for ₹2.8 lakh bribe in cyber case fix
Synopsis
Four serving police officers at Ayodhya's Cyber Crime Police Station were caught red-handed accepting ₹2.8 lakh to drop a civilian's name from a case — a textbook abuse of custodial power. The ACB's cross-state trap, run from Rajasthan's Sikar unit, signals that anti-graft agencies are increasingly willing to act against uniformed officers, not just bureaucrats.
Key Takeaways
Four Ayodhya Cyber Crime Police personnel — Sub-Inspector Yashwant Singh and Constables Pawan Tripathi, Sohanlal, and Gaurav Charag — were arrested on 18 August .
The accused allegedly demanded money to remove a complainant's brother from a registered cyber crime case.
Constable Gaurav Charag initially demanded ₹4,00,000 ; the amount was negotiated down to ₹2,80,000 before the trap was sprung.
The operation was conducted by the ACB Sikar unit on instructions from ACB Headquarters.
A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is being registered; investigation continues under ADG Smita Srivastava and IGP S.
Four police personnel from the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, were arrested on Tuesday, 18 August after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)'s Sikar unit caught them allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2,80,000 from a complainant. The trap operation was conducted on the directions of ACB Headquarters and targeted officers who had reportedly demanded money to remove a civilian's brother from a registered cyber crime case.
How the Trap Was Set
According to ACB Director General Govind Gupta, the bureau received a complaint alleging that the accused officers were demanding a bribe in exchange for dropping the complainant's brother from a case registered at the Ayodhya Cyber Crime Police Station. A preliminary verification was carried out on Monday, 17 August, during which Constable Gaurav Charag allegedly demanded ₹4,00,000. After negotiations, the amount was settled at ₹2,80,000.
The Arrest Operation
The trap was executed on Tuesday under the supervision of ACB Jaipur Deputy Inspector General Rameshwar Singh, led by ACB Sikar Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Kumar and Police Inspector Subhash Meel. During the operation, Constable Sohanlal allegedly physically accepted the bribe amount in the presence of the other accused. All four were apprehended on the spot.
The arrested personnel are Sub-Inspector Yashwant Singh, Constable Pawan Tripathi, Constable Sohanlal, and Constable Gaurav Charag.
What Happens Next
Interrogation of the four accused is underway under the supervision of ACB Additional Director General Smita Srivastava and Inspector General of Police S. Parimala. The ACB is set to register a formal case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and will continue its investigation. This comes amid a broader ACB push to tackle graft within law enforcement — a pattern that has seen multiple trap operations targeting serving officers in recent months.
ACB's Public Appeal
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has urged citizens to report bribery demands through its 24x7 toll-free helpline at 1064 or its WhatsApp helpline at 94135-02834. The bureau has assured full assistance in ensuring that legitimate public work is carried out without coercion or payment.
Point of View
Negotiated down to ₹2.8 lakh, suggests a practiced transactional routine, not a one-off lapse. Unless departmental action accompanies the criminal case, arrests alone will not deter the next demand.
NationPress
19 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the four Ayodhya police officers arrested?
The four officers were arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2,80,000 to remove a civilian's brother from a case registered at the Ayodhya Cyber Crime Police Station. The Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted a trap operation after verifying the demand.
Who conducted the ACB trap operation in Ayodhya?
The operation was conducted by the ACB's Sikar unit on the instructions of ACB Headquarters. It was supervised by Jaipur DIG Rameshwar Singh and led by Sikar ASP Vijay Kumar and Police Inspector Subhash Meel.
How much bribe was demanded and how much was accepted?
Constable Gaurav Charag initially demanded ₹4,00,000. After negotiations, the amount was settled at ₹2,80,000, which Constable Sohanlal allegedly accepted in the presence of the other accused during the trap.
What charges will the arrested officers face?
The ACB is registering a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Interrogation is ongoing under the supervision of ADG Smita Srivastava and IGP S. Parimala.
How can citizens report bribery demands to the ACB?
The Anti-Corruption Bureau operates a 24x7 toll-free helpline at 1064 and a WhatsApp helpline at 94135-02834 for citizens to report corruption or bribery demands.
