Panchkula constable held in cybercrime bribe case, second arrest in four days

The ACB stated that constable Pradeep Kumar’s arrest was made after sufficient evidence implicating him was uncovered during the ongoing investigation.

Just four days after an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from the Cybercrime police station, Mansa Devi Complex, was arrested in a ₹1.15 lakh bribe case, the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (ACB), Panchkula, has apprehended a constable from the same police station for his involvement in the crime. The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Kumar.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Kumar. (HT File)

The ACB stated that constable Pradeep Kumar’s arrest was made after sufficient evidence implicating him was uncovered during the ongoing investigation. Authorities revealed that their probe indicated Pradeep Kumar conspired with ASI Jasbir Singh, actively demanding and pressuring the complainant for the bribe.

Previously, on Tuesday, the ACB had arrested ASI Jasbir Singh red-handed while he was allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1.15 lakh. He was subsequently booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The case began when a private sanitary trading businessman approached the ACB, alleging that ASI Jasbir Singh was demanding a bribe to close a complaint against him. The complainant had initially taken a gold loan from Muthoot Finance in February 2024. To repay this loan, he contacted Cash Your Gold Company in Sector 20, Panchkula, which transferred ₹5.65 lakh to his account via RTGS. The understanding was that the complainant would retrieve the gold from Muthoot Finance and deliver it to Cash Your Gold Company.

However, the firm later filed a complaint with the cybercrime police station in Gurugram, accusing the businessman of failing to return either the gold or the money. This led to the Gurugram police freezing his bank account, along with those of his creditors.

The complaint was then transferred to Panchkula, where ASI Jasbir Singh allegedly demanded a bribe to unfreeze the complainant’s bank account. While the initial demand was reportedly ₹2.5 lakh, the ASI later settled for ₹1.15 lakh after negotiations, prompting the complainant to approach the ACB.