In a fresh corruption scandal rocking Karnataka's police force, a sub-inspector from the Tumakuru Rural police station was apprehended for accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000. This incident comes merely days after the Lokayukta trapped a police inspector in a separate Rs 4-lakh bribery case, highlighting ongoing issues with integrity within law enforcement.
Details of the Bribery Incident
The accused sub-inspector, identified as Chetan Kumar, was caught red-handed on Friday night while taking the money from an employee of a private company. According to Lokayukta police officials, Kumar had demanded the bribe to avoid registering a drug-peddling case against the youth and to release his seized SUV.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Arrest
The case originated on the night of January 16, when the private company employee and his friends were traveling from Channarayapattana to Bengaluru in an SUV. They made a stop near a tea shop located on the Outer Ring Road in Tumakuru. At this point, two policemen, including Sub-Inspector Chetan Kumar, approached them and falsely accused the group of consuming ganja.
Kumar proceeded to seize the SUV and instructed the youths to contact him the following day. When they called as directed, he escalated the situation by demanding a hefty sum of Rs 5 lakh. His ultimatum was clear: pay the money to prevent a drug-peddling case from being filed and to secure the release of their vehicle. After negotiations, Kumar eventually agreed to accept a reduced amount of Rs 40,000, which led to his capture by Lokayukta authorities during the exchange.
Legal Proceedings and Aftermath
Following his arrest, Chetan Kumar was presented before the special court designated for Lokayukta cases in Tumakuru on Saturday. The court has since remanded him to police custody, where he will remain as investigations continue into this misconduct.
This episode underscores a troubling pattern of corruption within the police department, especially in the wake of the recent Rs 4-lakh bribery case involving another inspector. It raises serious questions about the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures and the need for stricter oversight to restore public trust in law enforcement agencies across Karnataka.
