Mumbai police officer arrested for taking bribe "to manage rape case"

On the eve of International Women’s Day, an officer with the Mumbai Police was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau for allegedly accepting a bribe in exchange for ‘managing’ a case of rape registered by a woman.

According to ACB officials, the officer has been identified as Bharat Munde (33), a police sub inspector posted with the N M Joshi Marg police station in central Mumbai. Investigating officials said that the complainant in the case is the relative of the accused against whom the rape case had been registered earlier this year.

“Mundhe demanded a total of Rs 37 lakh from the complainant, saying that he would need Rs five lakh for himself, Rs two lakh for the senior inspector in charge of the police station and Rs 30 lakh to pay off the victim in order to convince her to withdraw the case,” an ACB officer said.

The complainant, who was unwilling to pay the bribe amount, approached the ACB earlier this month. The ACB verified the complainant’s statement, and after preliminary inquiries confirmed that Mundhe was demanding the bribe. The complainant and Mundhe had another conversation, which was monitored by the ACB, in which they negotiated and ultimately agreed on a sum of Rs seven lakh.

In a trap laid by the ACB on Monday, Mundhe was allegedly caught red handed while accepting the agreed-upon amount in the police station. He was subsequently arrested and charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the ACB is now conducting searches at his workplace and residence. The agency is also investigating to confirm whether the senior inspector of the police station was indeed part of the offence, as claimed by Mundhe.