Cop held while accepting bribe

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Farrukh Dhondy [1]

A police inspector (PI) posted with the Vinobha Bhave Nagar police station was caught by the officials of the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of `25,000. PI Manohar Gaware had demanded the sum in return for ensuring that the complainant’s son, arrested in a robbery case, gets bail. The ACB officials laid a trap and caught him red-handed while accepting the bribe on Wednesday in Kurla (west).
According to the ACB officials, the Vinobha Bhave Nagar police had arrested the complainant’s son Santosh on May 26, in connection with a robbery and assault case. After a few days in police custody, he was sent to judicial custody from June 1. “On June 2, the accused’s father visited the police station and met Gaware, who was the investigating officer in the case. On asking if his son would get bail, Gaware demanded `1 lakh for it. He met Gaware again on June 7 and requested him to grant bail through the court. This time around, Gaware quoted `25,000 in return for making a suitable application to the court, and producing facts which would guarantee him bail,” said an ACB official.
This time, the complainant agreed but later filed a complaint with the ACB. “Gaware told the complainant to come near the Barkhat Islam English School in Kurla (west) on Wednesday to hand over the money where we laid a trap. Our officers later moved in and caught Gaware red-handed while accepting the amount. He was arrested under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. We are searching his official and residential premises to look for possible incriminating documents and unaccounted cash,” said additional CP Rameshkumar Mor.
The complainant had first approached the workers from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who took up his case and advised him to file a complaint with the ACB. The party workers also accompanied him to the ACB office when he filed a complaint, claiming that Santosh had nothing to do with the crime and was illegally arrested in the case.