Booked in corruption case by Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau, ‘missing’ cop suspended

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT of Police (ASP) Vijay Krishna Yadav, who was recently booked by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on charges of demanding bribe, has been suspended from service. Confirming the development, a senior ACB official said Yadav was suspended after the ACB found evidence of him demanding a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a complainant to quash his case and prepare a favourable chargesheet. Meanwhile, ACB sleuths on the lookout for Yadav said the officer had been missing since last week. Sources added that Yadav had sought a “station leave” on January 30, the day ACB laid a trap. Sources added that his arrest in the case was imminent. “On the day of the trap he applied for station leave. We suspect he did so just to play safe as his middleman had a meeting lined up in a hotel to get the bribe money. Teams have been formed to locate him,” said an official requesting anonymity. “His custodial interrogation is necessary,” added the official.

Last week, under the supervision of ACB Superintendent of Police, Amravati, Shrikant Dhiware, a trap was laid and the middleman was caught red-handed accepting an installment of Rs 1 lakh on behalf of Yadav. According to the ACB, Yadav, earlier posted in Amravati as a probationary officer, had demanded Rs 3 lakh from the complainant to prevent his arrest, get his truck released and water down the chargesheet against him. While the complainant, who is into supplying building material paid Rs 1 lakh when Yadav was posted in Amravati, Yadav allegedly coaxed him to pay the remaining Rs 2 lakh despite his transfer to Nanded.

“About a month ago, after the complainant lodged a written complaint, we started recording the conversations between the two. We have a couple of telephone recordings where the bribe money is discussed and Yadav is handing out instructions on how to send the money to him. Yadav asked the complainant to pay the remaining sum to a middleman and asked him to meet at a hotel on Tuesday,” a senior official of the ACB said. “The middleman was called to Hotel New Punjab in Nanded and caught red-handed while accepting the bribe on behalf of the officer,” added the official.