A CBI court has awarded four years in jail to a sacked Delhi police head constable for taking bribe from a woman to lodge a harassment case against her in-laws.
A CBI court has awarded four years in jail to a sacked Delhi police head constable for taking bribe from a woman to lodge a harassment case against her in-laws. The court, while sentencing the accused, Satyawan, who had been posted with the Delhi police’s crime against women cell, noted that such instances erode people’s faith in the rule of law. Satyawan had urged the court to be lenient towards him while awarding the jail term. However, the court rejected his contention, saying he did not deserve leniency as the offence committed by the accused was serious in nature. “Being a police officer, he was protector of public faith in justice delivery system. However, the convict, Satyawan, instead of acting as a guard of public interest, indulged in defying the public cause by demanding illegal gratification from the complainant for lodging FIR on the complaint of his daughter. When the protector of public trust becomes destroyer, the very root of the society is affected. When public servant who was working in the police force indulges in an act of corruption, he not only commits an offence, but erodes the faith of citizens of the country in rule of law,” the court said.
The court said the woman’s harassment complaint was assigned to Satyawan who was supposed to help as the custodian of law, but instead sought illegal gratification for doing his duty.
According to the CBI, one Dharampal had complained in April 2004 that Satyawan had demanded a bribe of Rs 3,000 for lodging an FIR against his daughter’s in-laws for allegedly harassing her. A trap was laid by the CBI and Satyawan was arrested from Pitampura and Rs 2,000 was recovered from him. During trial, the former cop denied his involvement in the offence and claimed he was falsely implicated by the complainant in connivance with the CBI officials. The court held him guilty for the offence of a public servant taking illegal gratification under the Preven-tion of Corruption Act.
