Police to seek custody of cop arrested by ACB

The police has asked the ACB to share with it all the evidence regarding the case and also contacted the complainant to provide a digital copy of the sting operation which he had submitted to the ACB

The Delhi police will seek the custody of its head constable who was arrested by the anti- corruption branch of the Delhi government in an alleged case of bribery as a separate FIR was registered and a parallel investigation launched in the case.

The FIR was registered on Monday by the Delhi police’s vigilance department which has a dedicated police station to probe cases of corruption and indiscipline in the force.

The police has asked the ACB to share with it all the evidence regarding the case and also contacted the complainant to provide a digital copy of the sting operation which he had submitted to the ACB. A senior official said they will also seek the custody of the head constable for their probe.

The SHO of Sonia Vihar police station, where the accused head constable was posted when he was arrested by ACB, has also been shunted out in this connec- tion to ensure a fair probe.

“We have registered a case and taken up investigation. Whatever will be needed will be done,” said deputy commissioner of police ( vigilance) Sindhu Pillai. A turf war had broken out between the Delhi police, controlled by the Central government, and the Delhi government after head constable Anil was arrested by the ACB on the intervening night of May 1 and 2. The police had registered an FIR of kidnapping in this connection on the complaint of the constable’s wife.

Senior police officials had argued that they were informed about the constable’s arrest by the ACB only the next day and the FIR was registered before the official intimation was received by them.

The move triggered off a controversy with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia alleging that the Delhi police was covering up a corruption case involving its officials by registering an FIR of kidnapping. “When the head constable was arrested by the ACB, police officials knew about the case. But despite that, an FIR of kidnapping of the arrested official was registered, which is very unfortunate. With this case, we got to see the new face of police,” Mr Sisodia had said.

The police, however, maintains that ACB has no jurisdiction over its employees as it functions under the Centre. Senior police officials have cited a notification by the Union ministry of home affairs, which disallows the ACB from prosecuting Central government employees.