Mumbai: Constables caught taking bribe from prisoner's son at Taloja jail

The constables at Taloja jail had allegedly threatened the inmate's son of transferring his father into a barrack with a hardcore criminal. File Pic

Acting on a tip-off, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers arrested two constables from Taloja jail for taking a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the family member of a prisoner for not transferring him to the barrack of a hardcore criminal.

Investigation has revealed that the duo had already taken Rs 5,000 from the accused's son and were forcing him to pay another Rs 15,000 when the officers arrested them.

Tainted khaki
The ACB officers said the accused constables have been identified as Somanig Kamble, 27, and Mahesh Yadav, 34. The team had received information that they were involved in a number of such bribery cases.

Speaking to mid-day, an ACB officer said, "The inmate is serving a sentence under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Act (MCOCA). The constables had threatened his son that if he didn't pay the money, then they would shift him to the barrack of a hardcore criminal. Scared, the accused's son gave them Rs 5,000. But we arrested the two when he was handing over the remaining amount to them."

An ACB source said, "During interrogation, the constables said a senior officer had asked them to take the money. In jails, there are different categories of barracks. These constables often take bribes for allotting barracks to prisoners."

The other side
When contacted, Sadanand Gaikwad, Taloja jail superintendent, said, "The constables are innocent. Initially, an FIR was registered against a different officer of the jail, but when the ACB team couldn't trap him, they falsely implicated the constables in the case. Even their other allegations are baseless."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates