The Hindu : New Delhi News : Probe ordered into bribery allegation against cops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Probe ordered into bribery allegation against cops

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 18. Following the broadcast of video footage showing police personnel taking bribes in West Delhi, the Police Commissioner, K.K. Paul, has ordered a vigilance inquiry into allegations by a property dealer that when he contacted the Special Cell with the video footages as proof asking for appropriate action last year, he was offered bribe to cover up the matter. And on refusal the Special Cell raided his residence in an attempt to destroy evidence and later arrested the complainant apparently under the Excise Act.

The complainant, Chetan, revealed to a section of the media that frustrated at repeated bribe demands by the police, he decided to gather evidence against them. During a series of secretive operations, Chetan recorded events showing various police personnel taking bribes and striking deals with bootleggers. He claimed that he prepared over 20-hour-long video footage showing dozens of police personnel taking bribe. Coming to know about a Special Cell Assistant Commissioner of Police through newspapers, the complainant met him to apprise him of the nexus.

He was then taken to the Special Cell Deputy Commissioner of Police, who asked Chetan to hand over the tapes. Suspecting that something was amiss, the complainant decided not to give away the tapes to the Special Cell, following which some Special Cell staff members contacted him alluring him to strike a deal.

On refusal, the complainant alleged that the Special Cell mounted a raid at his residence, seized almost all the tapes and detained him. When he did not turn up for days, his father lodged a habeas corpus in a Delhi court that directed the police to produce Chetan. He was then sent to Tihar Central Jail. Coming out of Jail this year, Chetan submitted rest of the tapes to the Delhi High Court and their copies to two news channels for broadcast.

Stating that an inquiry into all the aspects of the allegations was being carried out under the direct supervision of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Vigilance), Kanwaljit Deol, Dr. Paul said all recordings were executed in the year 2002-2003 and that he had already transferred the then Station House Officer (SHO) of Uttam Nagar on various charges against him. "All police personnel shown taking bribes in the footages are being identified. The Vigilance department would also probe the alleged involvement of the Special Cell," Dr. Paul added.

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