Court convicts police constable for taking bribe for helping a man in rape case

New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue court has convicted a Delhi police constable of corruption after he accepted a bribe of Rs. one lakh to assist an unnamed individual in a rape case.
The constable, posted at Sarita Vihar Police Station, was convicted after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a First Information Report (FIR) in 2021.
Special Judge Nyay Bindu, after considering the evidence and statements, found Suman alias Suman Prakash guilty of accepting a bribe, an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Special Judge Nyay Bindu stated, "Based on my analysis of the evidence, I find that the accused, while acting in his official capacity, demanded a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh along with a mobile phone and accepted a bribe of Rs. 1 lakh from the complainant to assist him by not arraigning him in the rape case."
The court held that the convict had abused his official position as a police officer.
"I also find that the accused has abused his official position to obtain the aforementioned bribe," the Special Judge said.
"I conclude that the prosecution has successfully proven a case of offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against the accused Suman alias Suman Prakash beyond all reasonable doubt," the Special Judge noted in the judgement dated October 24, 2024.
The court consequently ordered the conviction of Suman alias Suman Prakash on October 24.
The FIR was registered against Suman alias Suman Prakash, who was stationed as a Constable at Sarita Vihar Police Station, New Delhi, under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act 1988 following a complaint by Mohd. Naeem. The complainant alleged that Suman Prakash demanded a bribe of Rs. 2 lakh and a mobile phone valued at Rs. 20,000 in exchange for not arraigning him in a rape case.
Police constable Suman was arrested after accepting a bribe of Rs. one lakh from the complainant on the premises of Police Station Sangam Vihar on January 21, 2021. The defence counsel argued that, as a Constable, Suman had no authority to influence the investigation or arraign anyone in a rape case, and that the prosecution had failed to demonstrate how he could have demanded a bribe in relation to such a case.
Responding to the argument, the Senior Public Prosecutor stated that, while a Constable is not authorised to conduct an investigation independently, he can assist the investigating officer (IO) as directed. The Constable is obligated to carry out any tasks assigned by the IO. (ANI)