Delhi Police officer sent to jail in graft case

A special court here has sent a Delhi Police officer to jail for three years and imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh on him for taking bribe from a family by threatening to implicate them in a false case.

The case pertains to an FIR lodged by the father-son duo against Assistant Sub Inspector Sube Singh for accepting a bribe from them in 2013.

Singh had received a complaint from Vishal who alleged that his wife threatened to commit suicide after an altercation. After setting the case, the police officer sought Rs 50,000 from Vishal and his father by threatening to implicate them in an abetment to suicide case.

The duo paid Singh Rs 20,000 and shot the video of them handing over the money. Thereafter, they filed a complaint against the cop.

While passing the order on the conviction last week, Special judge Kiran Bansal observed that people avoid the police because of the widespread "corruption" and "misuse of power".

In the order, the court also mentioned that the ordinary citizen finds it difficult to get cases registered without either "bribing the police personnel or bringing some influence on them."

"There is a general perception that the police do not behave properly towards complainants, witnesses, and victims of crime. Police response to most people approaching for service is perceived to be inadequate, insensitive, biased and delayed," the judge said in her order.

The police are also perceived to be corrupt and partial, the order stated, adding that it corrodes the spine of a nation.