Bribery case: police officer sentenced to 7 years RI

The Kollam Vigilance Court on Wednesday sentenced Tajuddin A., a Senior Civil Police Officer, to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe to submit a favorable report in a criminal case.

Mr. Tajuddin, a native of Konni in Pathanamthitta, was previously stationed at the Pathanamthitta Police Station and is currently serving at the Malakkappara Police Station in Thrissur. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a total fine of ₹20,000 on the convict.

The case originated in 2014 when a resident of Chenneerkara, Pathanamthitta, found himself as an accused in a case registered at the Pathanamthitta Police Station.

Mr. Tajuddin, who was the investigating officer at the time, demanded a bribe of ₹20,000 to file an investigation report that would benefit the complainant in court.

He was arrested by Pathanamthitta Vigilance unit while accepting ₹10,000, which was the first installment of the demanded bribe. The court found him guilty under multiple sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Public Prosecutor Siju Rajan represented the Vigilance department during the trial. The investigation and the subsequent filing of the chargesheet were completed by P.D. Radhakrishna Pillai, the former Deputy Superintendent of Police for the Pathanamthitta Vigilance Unit.