ACB trap at Jaripatka police station: head constable held, constable flees, Rs 20,000 missing

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Nagpur laid a trap at Jaripatka police station on September 16. The operation has raised several questions. The ACB team wanted to catch police head constable Sachin Manikrao Tayde (48) red-handed. Tayde was caught, but not red-handed.

Tayde and his colleague, constable Manish Uttam Meshram (30), are alleged to have demanded a bribe. As soon as Tayde was caught, Meshram suddenly had a fit, it is alleged. He left the spot on the pretext of treatment. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, but fled from there.

The case began when a relative of a 23-year-old man filed a complaint against him at Jaripatka police station. A non-cognisable offence was registered against him. The inquiry was handed to head constable Sachin Tayde of the NC inquiry team. Tayde and Meshram are alleged to have demanded a bribe of Rs 40,000 for helping in the matter. The amount was finally settled at Rs 20,000.

The complainant approached the ACB, which laid the trap. As planned, the complainant placed the money on Tayde's table. Tayde is alleged to have picked up the money from a sheet of newspaper, put it in his pocket and gone downstairs. On the complainant's signal, the ACB team followed him. But when Tayde was caught, the bribe money was not found on him.

The ACB produced Tayde in court. The court first granted five days' custody and then two more days. The ACB said it tried to find out where the money went, but Tayde did not cooperate with the investigation. Meanwhile, the absconding Meshram has been granted interim bail by the court. Neither the money nor the second accused is in hand.

The biggest question in the case is where the Rs 20,000 went. The complainant claims Tayde took the money, but it was not recovered from him during the operation. The ACB is investigating and searching for the money. The roles of Tayde and Meshram are also being examined.

ACB Superintendent of Police Digambar Pradhan said the investigation is being conducted seriously. He acknowledged that it is still unclear where the bribe money went. According to Pradhan, a report related to Tayde is being sent to the city police. He also made it clear that the ACB stands with the complainant.

The complainant has expressed fear that if the accused returns to police service, they could be harassed or implicated in a false case. It remains to be seen how much protection the law can give the complainant.