In a major action against police corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jind team arrested a lady Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and her private accomplice red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000 at the Bhattu Police Station in Fatehabad district, Haryana.

This marks the second arrest of a corrupt police official in the district within a span of 24 hours, sending shockwaves through the local police department.

The Extortion Plot: Demand of Rs 2 Lakh for a Settled Case The arrested officer, identified as ASI Talwinder Kaur, was serving as an Investigating Officer (IO) in the Women's Cell of the Bhattu police station for the past year. According to the ACB, the case pertained to a dispute involving a girl, which had already been mutually resolved by both parties.

Despite the compromise, the ASI deployed a private middlewoman, Kasturi Devi, to extort money from the complainant. The duo initially demanded a hefty sum of Rs 2 lakh to clear the file. When the complainant expressed his inability to pay such a large amount, the deal was eventually settled at Rs 35,000.

How the Trap Was Executed

• The Recording: Frustrated by the constant harassment, the complainant recorded his telephonic conversations with Kasturi Devi and approached the ACB.

• The Panchayat Setup: On Tuesday afternoon, a panchayat (meeting) of both parties was called at the police station. Following the meeting, ASI Talwinder Kaur explicitly instructed the complainant, "Meet Kasturi Devi, I have briefed her about everything."

• The Arrest: The bribe amount was first handed over to Kasturi Devi, who then passed it on to the ASI. The ACB team, which had already laid a trap, swooped in immediately and arrested both women red-handed with the bribe money.

Back-to-Back Arrests: Tohana SI Caught the Previous Day In a strikingly similar incident just a day prior, the ACB arrested Sub-Inspector (SI) Mahendra from the Tohana Sadar Police Station.

SI Mahendra was investigating a case involving fake Haryana Roadways bus passes. The officer allegedly visited the house of the complainant, Rakesh, and threatened him saying, "Pay Rs 72,000 or I will put you behind bars." Following negotiations, the bribe was fixed at Rs 35,000. The ACB team caught SI Mahendra red-handed while accepting the amount.

The swift actions by the Anti-Corruption Bureau highlight the persistent issue of grassroots corruption, but also demonstrate the department's firm commitment to bringing guilty officers to justice.