BENGALURU: The high court has rejected the bail plea of a police constable who was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 12,000 from a complainant for releasing the latter’s car.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had registered a case against Nayaz Ahmed G, attached to CS Pura police station in Gubbi town of Tumakuru district, on November 3, 2011, while he was caught receiving the money from Thimmegowda alias Chandranna.
Incidentally, sub-inspector Somashekar, the main accused, was also nabbed by ACB sleuths, who had to chase him for over 1km. Head constable Keshav Murthy, who allegedly demanded Rs 30,000 bribe and agreed to receive Rs 10,000, was arraigned as accused no. 2. A case under section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was filed against the accused. Nayaz was accused no. 3.
As the special court rejected bail, Nayaz moved the high court. He contended that SI Somashekar had already been granted bail.
However, Justice K Natarajan, who perused the materials on record, noted that bail was granted to accused no. 1 on the grounds that conversation between the complainant and him was not sufficient. “But the entire conversation under the spot panchnama reveals that petitioner-accused no.3 actually received money from the complainant. Investigation is still pending. Therefore, it cannot be said that the petitioner has not accepted any money. Of course, he might have received bribe on behalf of accused no.1. But, he was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe. There was a demand and acceptance of money by the petitioner, who came on a motorbike and received the amount and had a conversation with the complainant. Therefore, this is not a fit case for grant of bail at this stage,” the judge observed while dismissing Nayaz’s petition.
