BENGALURU: The Special Court for Lokayukta Cases on Tuesday made scathing observations on how police stations have lost people’s trust while rejecting the bail plea of a woman sub-inspector accused of bribery.
Savithri Bai JK, an SI at Govindapura police station, is charged with accepting a bribe of Rs 1.25 lakh by the Lokayukta police.
Judge KM Radhakrishna observed that police stations are no longer meant for curtailing crimes and ensuring a healthy atmosphere in society. Rather, they are daring enough to justify corrupt activities as if they have paid for their postings and recovering the same, which is a dangerous signal. This also indicates how the people’s representatives who are ruling us are responsible for the present compelling atmosphere and exploitation, the judge said.
“The word ‘police’ was like a mother faith for everybody, but losing such faith and hopes by the common man because of the deep-rooted corruption in police stations is the most unfortunate and unexpected,” the judge added.
Savithri Bai was trapped by the Lokayukta police on July 21 while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.25 lakh from the complainant, Mohammed Yunus, saying that Rs 1 lakh for a higher officer and Rs 25,000 for herself, from him to close the crime registered against him.
Referring to the conduct of Savithri Bai, Judge Radhakrishna observed that this kind of approach not only made the common man fear, facing untold problems, but also indicated the serious impact on society, even more than heinous offences. By which, every one of us need to understand that getting redressal of problems by the common man at the hands of the police nowadays has become a dream.
One Anjali registered a complaint against Yunus on the charges of criminal intimidation, causing voluntary hurt and others. After this, Savithri Bai released Yunus on station bail. Subsequently, he and his wife were in touch with the SI. Later, Yunus lodged the complaint on April 23, 2025, with the Lokayukta police alleging that Savithri Bai demanded and obtained Rs 25,000 illegal gratification to enlarge him on station bail. On July 10 and 17, she had demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from him to close the crime against him. Further, on the request, she scaled down her demand for Rs 1 lakh for a higher officer and Rs 25,000 for herself, in all Rs 1.25 lakh. The prosecution pressed for the custodial interrogation of the accused to avoid the possibility of tampering with the evidence and threats to the witnesses since she is a police officer.