BENGALURU: A special court declined to grant anticipatory bail to Woman Police Sub-Inspector Jagadevi Bhimashankar Salotagi, attached to Devanahalli police station, who was absconding since September 3 in connection with a case registered by Lokayukta police. The case was filed after her colleague was caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 on her behalf from the mother of a minor survivor of sexual assault, to file a chargesheet against the accused under the POCSO Act.
“Expecting illegal gratification, that too from the mother of the victim, by creating inevitability to pay, is truly inhuman in nature and not excusable. This kind of approach is totally intolerable and needs to be viewed seriously,” said Judge KM Radhakrishna, rejecting the anticipatory bail petition.
“Offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act will have a serious impact not only on the victim, but also society. This menace of corruption is playing with the lives of common people and has become a challenge to a growing country like ours... the deep involvement of police officials like Jagadevi in corrupt activities, who are supposed to fight for the well-being of society and protect the common people, is most unfortunate and unexpected,” the court observed.
According to the order, on July 30, 2025, Jagadevi had demanded Rs 25,000 from the mother of a 10-year-old survivor towards rent for a vehicle, which she arranged to trace the accused and other miscellaneous expenses. She further demanded illegal gratification of Rs 1 lakh to file the chargesheet.
However, when the complainant requested a lesser amount, Jagadevi came down to Rs 75,000 and received Rs 5,000 in advance. On September 2, Jagadevi insisted that she pay the amount. Police constable Manjunath C, who was assisting Jagadevi in the investigation, assured the woman that he would convince Jagadevi for Rs 20,000 or Rs 30,000 instead of Rs 70,000, if his demand for gratification was satisfied.
On September 3, the third accused, Amaresh, the writer in the police station, was trapped and arrested by Lokayukta police after he accepted a bribe of Rs 50,000 from the woman, on Jagadevi’s instructions.
Denying the allegations, Jagadevi, through her counsel, told the court that she is ready to abide by any conditions and will cooperate in the investigation if bail is granted. The court observed that she has been absconding, so extending cooperation has no meaning.