GRP inspector probing extortion case against a fellow cop booked for seeking Rs 10 lakh bribe to go easy on the case

Inspector Rohit Sawant from the Railway crime branch was probing  a case where assistant sub inspector Vijaya Ingawale with GRP , along with other persons, allegedly extorted Rs 10.3 lakh from a commuter at Bandra railway station on September 1. The accused were placed under arrest and are currently in jail.

A relative of Ingawale gave a complaint to the ACB that Sawant, through lawyer Arunkumar Singh, demanded Rs 10 lakh bribe to go easy in the case.

The complainant paid Rs 5 lakh bribe and on September 13, met Sawant who sought another Rs 5 lakh.

The complaintant said that the lawyer and the cop kept calling her on WhatsApp and asked to pay the amount. Not wanting to make the payment, the complainant approached ACB on September 18.

After confirming the allegations, the ACB asked complainant to ask the lawyer to meet on September 22 to receive payment. The lawyer was caught red handed accepting the bribe, following which an FIR was registered and he was placed under arrest.

The lawyer then called up Sawant and said the money had been received, following which Sawant too was named as an accused. An officer said that they were looking for Sawant.

GRP has been under a cloud of corruption in the past few months where several passengers on outstation trains have allegedly been extorted in the guise of baggage checking.

The Railway Commissioner carried out a crackdown and suspended 13 cops in the past five months and transferred over 15 cops.