HYDERABAD: The sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday caught red-handed Banjara Hills Inspector M Narender, Sub-Inspector S Naveen Reddy and Home Guard Sri Hari while accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a pub owner on police station premises.
Inspector Narender allegedly demanded a bribe from Neela Rajeshwar Laxman Rao, the managing partner of Rock Club Sky Lounge in Banjara Hills. As he kept exerting pressure on him, Laxman Rao approached the ACB officials.
According to ACB officials, Home Guard Sri Hari was assisting Narender (A1) and SI Naveen Reddy (A2). “Inspector Narender kept demanding Rs 4.5 lakh as mamool for three months. Later, he reduced it to Rs 3 lakh. The demand was made through the Home Guard for not harassing Laxman Rao and allowing him to run his pub under Banjara Hills police station limits,” they said.
“To collect the bribe, the Home Guard made several WhatsApp calls to Laxman Rao as instructed by Inspector Narender. As he failed to concede to their demand, the inspector registered a false case against Laxman Rao and started harassing him along with SI Naveen Reddy,” they added.
On September 30 at midnight, on the instructions of the Inspector, the SI went to the complainant’s pub and took him in a police vehicle to Banjara Hills police station, where he was detained for long a time. The ACB has not made any arrests so far, but it seized some material from the police station as well as the residence of the inspector, which can be used as evidence in the case.“The case is under investigation. Further action will be taken as per the law,” the ACB officials added.