BENGALURU: The general opinion among the public that lower-rung officials are easy prey for Lokayukta police, especially in the police department, has come to the fore again with the Special Court for Lokayukta cases itself expressing anger about their conduct. Lokayukta police registered FIRs against two constables in a bribery case, while sparing the ACP of Peenya sub-division, despite his name and activities being extensively mentioned in the complaint filed with them.
“It is most unfortunate that Lokayukta police is giving a go-by to the superior officer (ACP) in the FIR,” said Judge K M Radhakrishna, while declining bail to the driver of the ACP, at whose behest the bribe was accepted from the complainant. The court noted that careful perusal of the entire record of alleged conversations transcripted in the trap and pre-trap panchanamas, and explanation of the accused constables prima facie indicates that the driver, Nagaraj, had committed the alleged offence at the behest of the ACP who has become ‘invisible’ to Lokayukta police, though his name and activities are reflected in the complaint, the court added.
For this reason, the court accepted the necessity for custodial interrogation of Nagaraj, accused No. 1, to ensure a fearless and impartial investigation, while also considering the argument of the prosecution about the possible involvement of the ‘invisible’ person as the mastermind. “In the recent past, corruption-related tyranny in police stations has been increasing day by day and common people are becoming the real victims with no voice to resist because of fear, inevitability and helplessness... lawlessness has prevailed in police stations because of deep-rooted corrupt activities. This pathetic condition needs to be viewed seriously...” the court noted.
The accused constables, Nagaraj and Gangahanumaiah, secured the complainant on March 15 at the ACP’s office, after contacting him through Nagaraj’s mobile phone. The ACP allegedly asked the complainant not to continue his business of supplying gas cylinders. However, he demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh to permit him to carry out his business, and asked him to talk with the accused constables.
They, in turn, asked him to pay them Rs 25,000 each, and Rs 2 lakh to the ACP, and demanded a further amount of Rs 10,000 each per month. On March 26, around 6.50pm, the duo was trapped and arrested by Lokayukta police, after they received Rs 50,000 each from the complainant near APMC Yard police station. The public prosecutor opposed bail, pointing out the ACP’s involvement in demanding a bribe using the accused. The court, however, granted bail to head constable Gangahanumaiah, but observed that it doesn’t mean he is innocent.