Ramesh agreed to pay Rs. 17,000 to ensure that no case is filed against him
Indian cop Palle Thirupathi Reddy was caught red-handed taking a bribe of Rs. 17,000 (£195) on August 16, 2019. A day earlier, he was awarded the ‘best constable’.
The Telangana government had recognised his “dedication and hard work” as a constable. As a result, they gave him a ‘best constable’ award.
Constable Reddy was presented the award by state minister Srinivas Goud in front of the district Superintendent of Police Rema Rajeshwari.
However, just a day later, he was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) taking a bribe. Reddy had harassed a man for the money.
At the time of accepting the bribe, Reddy was a constable at I-Town Police Station in the Mahbubnagar district of Telangana.
It is believed he had been harassing a man named Ramesh for more than a year. The harassment would happen whenever the man transported sand in his tractor.
Ramesh told officers that the Indian cop would stop him numerous times even though he had all the valid documents to transport the sand.
Reddy allegedly threatened to have the tractor seized and even threatened to file a false case against him. The constable told the man that it could be prevented if he hands over some money.
Ramesh agreed to pay Rs. 17,000 to ensure that no case is filed against him and that his tractor is not seized. They arranged a meeting for the handover.
Ahead of the meeting, Ramesh filed a complaint against the corrupt constable with the ACB. A trap was laid and Reddy was caught on August 16.
According to media reports, the ACB recovered the bribe from the “back pocket” of Constable Reddy’s trousers.
The money was forensically examined and it was discovered that the notes had Reddy’s fingerprints on them.
Following his arrest, Constable Reddy was produced before a special court which specifically deals with ACB cases. India Today reported that he was later sent to judicial remand while the investigation continues.
Corruption is a problem within India and it is not just within the police force. The issue has affected India’s economy of central, state and local government agencies.
Not only has it held the economy back but it has also stunted the country’s development.
In May 2019, activists have said that even though ACB frequently conducts such operations and is able to catch corrupt officials, not much happens after that.
Activists have claimed that some cases are close while other cases are proposed for a departmental inquiry which never reaches a conclusion.
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