KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Nov 10: Mango police station Officer-in-charge Rajiv Ranjan Kumar was arrested by a team of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while taking Rs 25,000 from a litigant at the station premises on Thursday.
The 48-year-old police officer was harassing one Balwant Singh while demanding Rs 50,000 despite the latter having obtained bail from the Jamshedpur court in connection to a case registered with the Mango thana.
Singh, who is a Congress party functionary, had made the OC agree upon coming down from the demand of Rs 50,000 to Rs 25,000, but at the same time, he informed the Sonari-based ACB office about the bribe deal.
The ACB officials got the complaint verified and finally decided to lay a trap on the OC.
According to sources in the ACB office, a bundle of Rs 25,000, all currency notes of Rs 500 denomination, was smeared with phenolphthalein powder, a chemical powder used for the detection of bribery. As soon as the complainant handled the bundle over to the OC at his chamber, the ACB team which was around entered the chamber and overpowered the police officer.
According to the sources, the team led by deputy superintendent of police (ACB) Bijay Kumar Mahto seized the bundle of notes and made the OC dip his fingers into a glass jar. As soon as the water in the jar turned red, the ACB team took the OC into custody.
DSP (ACB), Bijay Kumar Mahto confirmed that he was leading a seven-member team to the Mango thana to carry out the operation against the OC.
“We have arrested the OC, Mango thana, Rajiv Ranjan Kumar for taking a bribe. We are forwarding him to the Ghaghih Central Jail, ” said Mahto while talking to lagatar24.com.
It may be mentioned here that several police officials have been caught by the ACB beside officials of other government departments on charges of receiving bribes earlier. But this is for the first time in the steel city that a thana OC was arrested by the ACB.
