The officials said the complainant’s friend had died in a road accident on May 3. The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) late on Friday arrested a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and his assistant for allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore from a businessman in Parbhani.
ACB officials raided the residence of DSP Rajendra Pal in Dadar on Saturday and seized Rs 24.84 lakh cash. The officials said Pal’s assistant, a constable, was caught while accepting Rs 10 lakh from the complainant. Subsequently, Pal was also apprehended. The officials said the complainant’s friend had died in a road accident on May 3. A case of rash and negligent driving was registered at the Selu police station in Parbhani and the accused arrested. The complainant reached out to his friend’s wife to console her. He had called from one of his employee’s phone. “He said something objectionable that was recorded by the employee on the phone. The employee then sent the recording to his colleagues and the audio clip went viral,” said an officer. Pal eventually contacted the complainant and asked him to show up at his office on July 9. “He threatened the complainant that he heard the clip and he will register a case against him,” said Additional Commissioner of Police Lakhmi Gautam. He also demanded Rs 2 crore for not registering the case.
The businessman then lodged a written complaint at the ACB headquarters here on Thursday. On Friday, when Pal’s assistant Ganesh Chavan came to accept the first instalment, he was caught red-handed.
Pal and Chavan were arrested early on Saturday.
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