CRPF deputy commandant acquitted in bribery case

New Delhi: A Delhi court has acquitted a CRPF deputy commandant, facing trial for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh for getting firms listed to sell products in the police canteen.

Special CBI judge Swarana Kanta Sharma let off Manmeet Pokhariyal, who was posted at Central Police Canteen (CPC) at Lodhi Road here, saying the prosecution has "failed to prove the demand and acceptance of bribe amount". "When the testimonies of the witnesses are seen in the light of relevant Sections of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, it is clear that in the instant case, the material witnesses have turned hostile and have not supported the case of CBI on material facts," the court said. According to CBI, the accused had allegedly demanded from a representative Rs 1 lakh for getting his firms listed on the canteen. Once the firms were listed on the CPC, Manmeet allegedly started demanding bribe from the representative for extending the favour, CBI had said. The representative, also the complainant -- B K Chawla, authorised consultant for industrial sales of M/s Bodycare Creations Pvt Ltd and M/s Superfine Knitters Ltd in May 2012 had approached the CBI with a written complaint against the officer. The CBI registered a case and caught Manmeet in a trap while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs one lakh from the complainant, the agency said. However, Manmeet`s counsel P K Dubey contended during the trial that his client is innocent and has been implicated. Dubey further stated that neither the complainant nor the shadow witness and the independent witnesses have supported the case of prosecution. The court had also warned the complainant that in case of his tendering false statement before the court, he will be liable for prosecution. At this, the complainant accepted that he had given false statement in the court on oath under pressure from CBI and that Manmeet had never demanded bribe.