Trucker drives corrupt cops into ACB trap
Told to pay bribe of Rs 4,000 by two Vasai officers to prepare panchnama after road mishap, he alerts Anti-Corruption Bureau ……RAM PARMAR
Atruck driver who met with an accident on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway No 8 has had two constables put behind bars, after the two demanded a bribe of Rs 4,000 to prepare a panchnama.
Last Friday, Wadala resident Rajesh Yadav, who works for Balaji Transport in Vashi, was driving a company truck carrying steel coils from Hazira near Surat to Talegaon in Pune. Near Bapane village in Vasai, he had a head-on collision with another truck. The impact of the crash damaged the other vehicle.
Yadav immediately informed his boss Sanjay Bhola, who advised him to report the matter at the nearest police station.
“When I went to the Bapane police chowky, which comes under the Manickpur police jurisdiction, I informed Police Naik Dadasaheb Vishnu Borkar and his colleague Sanjay Uttam Deshmukh about the mishap. The two came with me to the accident spot,” recalled Yadav.
In order to claim insurance, Yadav knew he had to get a panchnama from the officers. “But they said, ‘Iske liye paise lagenge (You’ll have to shell out some cash to get a panchnama)’. They demanded Rs 6,000,” recalled Yadav.
He negotiated the amount to Rs 4,000, and told the officers he would need two days to pay the amount. He was allowed to leave after agreeing to leave the truck at the site and was asked to come back to the police chowky with the bribe amount. “Borkar said that if he’s not in when I return, I should hand over the money to Deshmukh.”
The 30-year-old told his boss about this development, and was convinced that calling the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Thane was the best way to take the corrupt officers to task. On Monday, he narrated the entire episode to the ACB. Subsequently, deputy superintendent of police Vilas Jagdale and inspector M M Vispute laid a trap on Tuesday, and Deshmukh was caught red-handed as he accepted the bribe.
“We have arrested the two constables under Sections 7, 12, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1989, and will produce them before the Vasai Sessions Court on Wednesday,” said Jagdale.
Last Friday, Wadala resident Rajesh Yadav was driving a truck carrying steel coils from Hazira near Surat to Talegaon in Pune. He had a head-on collision with another truck near Bapane village in Vasai
Yadav alleged that he approached the Bapane police to get a panchnama done so he could claim insurance, but Police Naik Dadasaheb Vishnu Borkar (left) and his colleague Sanjay Uttam Deshmukh (right) initially asked him for a bribe of Rs 6,000
The Bapane police chowky