Stung by the sting operation that caught over 30 policemen taking bribe, the Mumbai Police on Thursday retaliated by booking the person who carried out the secret recordings.
Earlier, 36 policemen belonging to Nehru Nagar Police Station in the eastern suburb were suspended based on a directive from Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil.
Kasam Khan, whose act caused much embarrassment to the police force, said he made the video after his friend Prakash Naval was hounded by policemen seeking money. Naval was renovating his house at Thakkar Bappa Refugee Camp at Kamgar Nagar in Kurla West here. Though the slums in itself were illegal, any modification, repair or renovation ran the risk of municipal action. Police could also act under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act Act. Khan said about 32 policemen, assigned different responsibilities, turned up at Naval’s house in different shifts over a period of 10 days demanding money. In all, Naval paid `45,000 to the policemen who sought money for themselves and their seniors.
Once the video was ready, Khan approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau. But the officials expressed inability to take action as the ‘trap’ was not laid in accordance with the ACB procedure.