Maha cops ask complainant to buy stationery, held for bribery

Two policemen were held in Mumbai's Santa Cruz area by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly asking a man wanting to file an accident complaint to purchase stationery and get photo-copies of documents, an official said on Saturday.

Probationary sub-inspector Dilip Tukaram Pawar (32) and constable Sarjerao Pungle (35) were held on Friday, he said.

"The man's car was involved in an accident and he wanted to file a complaint for insurance purposes. The accused first demanded Rs 500 to give a document the complainant wanted," he said.

When the complainant expressed inability to give Rs 500, Pawar and Pungle asked him to buy stationery worth Rs 200 and get police station documents photo-copied at a cost of Rs 170, he added.

"The man approached the ACB which trapped Pungle when he came to collect the stationery and photo-copies. The PSI was held soon after. They have been charged under Prevention of Corruption Act," the official said.