Graft case: Witness retracts from statement

An important witness in a 2008 graft case involving two Chandigarh Police sub-inspectors,on Monday retracted from the statement he had made earlier. The witness,Virender Kumar,was posted as a head constable in 2008.

The case pertains to November 2008,when the CBI had arrested Neelam police post in-charge Sub-Inspector Sanjeev Kumar and Sector 17 Traders’ Association president Subhash Kataria for allegedly demanding and accepting Rs 50,000 as bribe from a shopkeeper.

It was alleged that Arvind Pandey,owner of a book shop in the Anand Theatre Complex,had approached Sanjeev Kumar to get his another shop in the same area vacated by a tenant.

The officer had allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 for the job,after which Arvind approached the CBI,who arrested the two accused.