UP cop caught taking Rs 50,000 bribe in Mathura, suspended

Mathura: A police constable posted at Govind Nagar Police Station in Mathura was caught accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000, an officer said Friday. Superintendent of Police, City, Rajeev Kumar Singh said Shubham Chauhan allegedly demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 20,000 from Sanju Thakur, a local e-rickshaw driver, for letting him ply his vehicle in the Govind Nagar area. Feeling harassed, Thakur approached the Anti-Corruption Department and filed a complaint against Chauhan, who is originally from Shamli. As part of the plan to nab him in the act, police gave Thakur banknotes laced with some chemical, likely phenolphthalein, which lets one know who has handled the notes. On Thursday, Chauhan was called to a spot behind the police station, where he accepted the money. As soon as he took the cash, anti-corruption team members hiding nearby caught him. When his hands were washed with water, they turned red and pink due to the chemical on the notes, an evidence he took the cash. Chauhan, who joined the force five years ago, was booked at Farah Police Station. He will be produced in a court today. Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said he has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered against him.