New Delhi: An MCD official caught in a news
channel sting operation, demanding and accepting bribe from a
rickshaw puller has been let off by a Delhi court.
"The prosecution has failed to prove any demand of the
alleged bribe by the accused as none of the witnesses
supported the story of the prosecution. There is no evidence
on record that the accused had obtained any amount by corrupt
or illegal means," said Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal,
while acquitting MCD official Vijender Singh.
The prosecution case was that Singh, while working as
a rickshaw catcher in MCD was filmed by a news channel
reporter accepting Rs 600 from Rajesh Pandey for releasing his
rickshaw which was impounded for entering a no-entry zone in
Central Delhi area.
The sting was telecasted on March 22, 2005, following
which the case was registered against Singh. The CD of the
sting was forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Branch of Delhi
Police.
The news correspondent told the court that he accompanied
Pandey to a dhaba (eatery) after he told him that Singh was
demanding bribe. He said the entire incident was videographed
by him but the conversation between Singh and Pandey could not
be recorded due to some technical glitch.
Pandey, however, turned hostile and said he had paid the
money as fine and was given a receipt for the same.
The court also noted that Singh was exonerated and
reinstated after Pandey made another statement before the
investigating officer that no bribe was demanded from him.
It also noted that proper entries were made against Rs
575 paid by Pandey for getting his rickshaw released which
included a fine amount of Rs 300 and the store charges as
fixed by the civic agency.
PTI
