Two Maharashtra Police Officers Nabbed in Bribery Sting

Two police officers in Jalna, Maharashtra, face arrest after being caught in a bribery sting operation for allegedly demanding protection money from a sand truck owner, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat corruption.

Two police personnel were caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the owner of a tipper truck transporting sand in Maharashtra's Jalna district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday.

Inspector Manoj Kumar Rathod (50) and constable Ravi Jadhav (38), both attached to the Mantha police station, allegedly demanded a bribe from the complainant involved in transporting sand, ACB Inspector Santosh Tigote said.

The duo allegedly demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 50,000 to avoid taking action against the tipper vehicle, and Jadhav had accepted Rs 10,000 from the complainant earlier, he said.

Unwilling to pay the remaining bribe amount, the tipper truck owner lodged a complaint with the ACB unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the official said.

He further stated that Inspector Rathod allegedly encouraged the complainant to pay the bribe and suggested that if he helped the police seize two vehicles involved in illegal sand transportation, he would receive a concession in the monthly payment.

Arrest and Investigation

"We laid a trap at Mantha police station, where constable Jadhav was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of panch witnesses," he said.

The ACB team recovered Rs 30,000 from Jadhav during a search along with a mobile phone, which has been seized for analysis, the official added.