BMTF cop, worker get 3 years in jail for accepting bribe

A police sub-inspector attached with Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) and a contract worker with the agency were on Thursday held guilty of accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 to carry out an official favour in 2018. A special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases sentenced them to simple imprisonment of three years.
Judge K Lakshminarayana Bhat also slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 each on sub-inspector Shivakumar V (presently inspector with city railway police) and Chetan KL.
According to a press release issued by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the two were trapped in November 2018 while accepting the bribe from an individual. “The individual had been booked in a case registered with BMTF. Shivakumar approached him and demanded Rs 80,000 to clear him of the charges. The person agreed to pay Rs 50,000 and filed a complaint with ACB. Accordingly, the two were trapped while accepting Rs 50,000 as bribe,” the press note said.
Victim turns hostile
However, during the trial, the victim-cum-complainant turned hostile and made statements that did not substantiate his claims. Observing that he had turned hostile, the court took into consideration other circumstantial evidence and convicted the accused.
The court has now issued a notice to the complainant seeking to know why he turned hostile. He is directed to appear before it on March 30, ACB said.