A court in Kerala’s Kochi has sentenced a senior police officer to two-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 after finding him guilty of accepting a Rs 500 bribe from a motorcycle rider.
Muvattupuzha vigilance court judge Kalam Pasha observed while delivering the verdict on Wednesday that KT Antony never deserved sympathy and strict punishment was needed to curb corruption that is eating into the vitals of the country.
If Antony fails to cough up the fine, he will have to undergo an additional one-month jail term.
Antony demanded a bribe of Rs 1,000 from Sumesh, a resident of Eloor on the outskirts of Kochi, for releasing his motorcycle after a minor accident in 2010. Sumesh bargained with the officer, who agreed to take Rs 500.
However, Sumesh got angry over the inordinate delay and the officer’s persistent demand and tipped off vigilance officers about the incident. Later, Antony was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 500.