Police station chief, driver booked for seeking, accepting bribe five months back

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The anti-corruption bureau on Friday booked a senior police inspector and a constable on the charges of demanding and accepting a bribe.The constable worked as a driver on the inspector's official vehicle. Authorities maintained that the complainant in this case had video recorded the incident, in which the suspects allegedly demanded the bribe on March 18 and accepted the bribe amount on April 3.Using this video as evidence, the complainant had lodged independent complaints with the offices of the city commissioner of police and the superintendent of police (ACB). Sources maintained that after carrying out a preliminary probe, the office of the director general ACB office granted permission for registering an FIR against the duo.The city police maintained that inspector Rajesh Yadav, heading the Pundaliknagar police station, has been on sick leave for the past few days, while his official driver Suresh Pawar has been under suspension since June 22.Superintendent of police Sandip Atole said at the time of registering the FIR, the two were untraceable. "Our teams will follow the due process and nab them for taking the probe forward," said Atole.According to the details, a man identified as Rameshwar Darekar owns half an acre of land in gat number 50 of the Renuka Nagar area in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.After the locals refused to give him access road to his plot, he approached the court and bagged an order. As a part of the procedure, Darekar reached out to the CP office and made an application seeking police bandobast.Accordingly, the application was forwarded to the Pundaliknagar police station for seeking their report on whether a bandobast should be provided or not. Darekar stated that a senior officer there sought a large bribe from him for providing bandobast.It was alleged that the senior officer asked Darekar to hand some money in advance to the constable, posted as driver. Unwilling to pay the bribe amount, Darekar recorded a video of Pawar collecting money on behalf of the officer. Darekar subsequently reached out to the then commissioner of police Sandeep Patil and lodged a complaint, resulting in the constable's suspension and an internal inquiry against the inspector as well as the constable.Sources maintained that deputy commissioner of police (zone-II) Navneet Kanwat has already sent a default report proposing departmental action against the inspector, which has been pending with the CP office.