Court remands suspended PI to police custody till Mar 24

Mumbai, Mar 17 (UNI) The special ACB court today remanded suspended Senior Police Inspector Anandrao Chavan (56), who was arrested yesterday while accepting a bribe of Rs 20,000 and a liquor bottle from a hotelier at the Kherwadi police station in suburban Bandra, to the police custody till March 24.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths moved a remand application, praying that the investigation into the case is yet to be completed. Therefore, the agency demanded custodial interrogation of the accused.

Additional Sessions Judge (Ms) S S Joshi granted the permission and remanded Chavan to police custody till March 24.

On March four, a group of youths had demanded Rs 1500 as donation for celebration of Holi festival from the owner of a country liquor bar. When the owner refused to give the said amount, a quarrel ensued between the complainant and the gang members.

A complaint of roiting was lodged against both parties with the Kherwadi police station. Later, the two parties settled the issue among themselves and the same was intimated to the police.

Even then, Chavan threatened the complainant that he would reopen the case and arrest him in the roiting case, if he failed to give him a bribe of Rs five lakh. Finally, the deal was fixed at Rs one lakh. The hotel owner agreed to pay the amount in instalments and simultaneously, he registered a complaint with the ACB office at Worli.

Yesterday morning, when the bar owner went to pay the first instalment of Rs 20,000, along with a liquor bottle, to give it to Chavan in his chamber at Kherwadi police station, the ACB sleuths apprehended him red-handed.

UNI