Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked three police officers for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes from a Chembur-based money lender.

The three police officers are placed at the RCF police station in the Chembur area. They are identified as Murlidar Karpe, who used to be the senior police inspector at RCF, and a month ago he was promoted to the post of assistant commissioner of police (ACP). The other two police officers are police sub-inspector Rahul Jadhav, and police constable Ganesh Mozar.

According to the complainant, he had first approached the RCF police station after he encountered a cheating incident. Sources confirmed that he had lent ₹17 lakhs to more than a couple of people which they failed to return. Hence, he wanted to register a complaint against them.

Cops demand bribe to register FIR

To proceed with further inquiries, the above-mentioned police officers demanded a bribe and accepted it as well. Later, the three further asked for more bribes, to register the FIR, from the complainant, he said.

As per their demand, they asked the complainant to give 10 grams of gold coins to Karpe, ₹60,000 for Jadhav and ₹5,000 for Mozar. The complainant registered a case with ACB on December 8, and all three police officers were held red-handed on December 14, while accepting the said bribes. It later came to light that it was Karpe who made the demand for bribes through his subordinate. 

All three have been slapped with charges under section 7 (public servant who shall accept any gratification other than lawful remuneration for an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ACB is conducting further inquiries into the matter, they said.