A constable posted at the Koregaon Park police station bit a businessman and then pushed and struck three personnel of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Pune during a trap operation at a housing society on Boat Club Road on Wednesday afternoon. The ACB personnel later arrested the constable for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from the businessman. A case has been registered against him with the Koregaon Park police. The shocked businessman has been hospitalised, while the three ACB personnel suffered minor injuries.
Details of the Incident
Superintendent of Police, ACB Pune, Shirish Sardeshpande, told TOI, "The arrested constable, Ganesh Kaspate, had demanded a bribe of Rs 2 lakh and later settled for Rs 1.5 lakh for not arresting the businessman in a Negotiable Instruments Act case registered in Hyderabad. A court in Hyderabad had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the businessman." The officer added, "The NBW was issued against the businessman from Boat Club Road in March. Constable Kaspate, assigned the task to execute the NBW, went to the businessman's house and threatened to arrest him. He then took Rs 5 lakh and left."
Further Demands and Trap
Sardeshpande said, "Kaspate again contacted the businessman on May 1, claiming that the NBW had been reissued. He promised to help the businessman and settled for a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh. Kaspate demanded the money on Wednesday." In the meantime, the businessman approached the ACB and lodged a complaint. A trap was laid at the housing society. "Our team apprehended the constable as soon as he accepted the cash, but Kaspate bit the complainant on the chest, and then pushed and assaulted the three ACB personnel. An officer fell on the ground and Kaspate attempted to flee, but our team nabbed him," Sardeshpande said.
