Two policemen jailed in 2004 bribery case

Almost 12 years after their arrest in a case of bribery, two policemen from Bhiwandi have been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a district court here.
Thane Special Judge M M Walimohammed found the accused Laxman Bhagwan Suryavanshi, 65, Police Sub-Inspector (retired) and Shankar Dagdu Jadhav, 52, a police constable attached to Shanti Nagar police station at Bhiwandi guilty under section 7 and 13(1) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 and jailed them yesterday.
A cumulative fine of Rs 12,000 each was also imposed on the duo.
The third accused, Ashok Yadav, 41, was however acquitted.

Additional Public Prosecutor Hemlata Deshmukh, appearing for prosecution told the court that complainant Ramkirat Singh had a business of textile and transport also.
He was sitting along with his nephew Manoj Singh in Hotel Utsav on the day of the incident in August 2004.

The accused constable and Yadav approached them and said they were policemen and would take action against them for purchasing stolen cloth.
The police officer asked them pay up Rs 1 lakh to avoid any action on the businessman.
The aggrieved businessman then lodged a complaint with the ACB. The sleuths laid a trap on August 26, 2004 and nabbed the constable and Yadav while they were allegedly accepting the bribe money of Rs 50,000 on behalf of the sub-inspector, who was also later placed under arrest.