A team of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) led by DSP Ranga Raju on Tuesday arrested the head constable of Airport Police Station, Bangaru Naidu, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹30,000 from a complainant.
Senior DSP of ACB’s Visakhapatnam unit, Kinjarapu Ramakrishna Prasad, said Bangaru Naidu demanded ₹30,000 from a man identified as Anand Kumar for not registering a cheating case against him. The complainant paid ₹15,000 on May 31.
The head constable was reportedly caught red-handed while accepting the remaining amount on Tuesday. “After collecting the money, the accused handed over the money to the station writer. Bangaru Naidu tested positive for a chemical test and the money was recovered from the station writer Mohanti,” said Mr. Ramakrishna Prasad.
As per the ACB, the accused reportedly confessed that the money was collected on the insistence of Srinivasa Rao, the Inspector of the Airport Police Station.
“We have taken both the head constable and the station writer into custody and proceedings are on. We are also investigating the involvement of the inspector and will conduct house searches and proceed further against him,” said Mr. Ranga Raju.
It is learnt that Mr. Anand Kumar, his brother and a few others were brought to the police station on the night of May 30, after they indulged in a heated argument at hotel near NAD Kotha Road with a few others whom Mr. Anand had reportedly cheated over a finance deal.
The head constable then reportedly threatened to book cases against Mr. Anand Kumar if he failed to pay the bribe amount. Mr. Anand then approached the ACB and filed a complaint.
“Based on the complaint, we laid a trap and caught Bangaru Naidu and Mohanti,” said Mr. Ramakrishna Prasad.