ACB nabs head constable for ‘demanding Rs 1.75-L bribe’

According to ACB officials, the accused has been identified as head constable Shantaram Saravade, who was posted with the Nallasopara police station at the time of his arrest.

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Officials said that the complainant, a Nallasopara resident, was facing harassment at the hands of a group of people with whom he had been embroiled in a dispute, and had approached the Nallasopara police with an application seeking an FIR against them.

Saravade was allegedly demanding Rs 1.75 lakh from the complainant, claiming that he would also have to give a cut to his superiors.

The complainant then approached ACB, who set about verifying his complaints. In a call that was monitored by ACB officials, the complainant contacted Saravade who demanded the money, after which a case of demanding a bribe was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. ACB officials then set about laying a trap so that he could be arrested red-handed.

“Saravade had been wary of an ACB trap from the beginning and had even voiced this suspicion in front of the complainant more than once. We tried to lay a trap twice, but both times Saravade did not accept the money from the complainant, asking him to meet him later. We finally arrested Saravade for demanding a bribe,” said Ankush Bangar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, ACB, Palghar unit.

Bangar added that investigations so far had not thrown up any indication to support Saravade’s claims of having to give a cut to his seniors. The ACB is currently conducting searches at Saravade’s workplace and residence.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com