ACB catches cop accepting Rs 30k bribe from bootlegger

Rajkot: A cop was caught red handed while accepting Rs 30,000 bribe from a bootlegger in Muli of Surendranagar district on Thursday.
The officials of Rajkot anti-corruption bureau (ACB) said the accused, identified as Mahendrasinh Zala, assistant sub-inspector with Muli police station, had demanded the bribe from a bootlegger in order not to subject him to custodial torture and not to seize his cellphone. The bootlegger had promised to pay him the cash after his release on bail.
The bootlegger was arrested after Indian-made foreign liquor bottles were recovered from his possession and subsequently, he was sent to police custody by a court. Zala was supposed to interrogate him.
“Zala had asked the bootlegger to cough up Rs 50,000 in order not to beat him up in the custody and allow him to keep his cellphone with him. After haggling, the amount was reduced to Rs 30,000. However, after his release on bail, as the bootlegger did not want to pay the amount, he approached us with the complaint,” said M M Sarvaiya, inspector with Rajkot ACB.
“We laid a trap at Muli bus stand, where Zala had asked the bootlegger to come to hand over the money. Zala had taken a person, identified as Mansukh Labakamana, along with him. Zala asked the bootlegger to hand over the money to Labakamana. When the bootlegger handed over the cash to Zala through Labakamana, the accused were caught red handed,” added Sarvaiya.