Lucknow: In a major crackdown on police corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday evening arrested Sub-Inspector Dhananjay Singh after he was caught red-handed accepting a ₹2 lakh bribe from an accused in a gangrape case. The arrest took place at the Paper Mill Colony police outpost, which falls under the Mahanagar police station limits.
Sub-inspector caught on camera taking cash
A video of the operation, accessed exclusively by local media, shows Singh sitting in his office and instructing the accused, Prateek Gupta, to place four bundles of ₹500 notes inside a file. Moments later, ACB officers entered the room and nabbed Singh on the spot. The sting operation was part of a carefully planned trap following a written complaint filed by Gupta with the bureau.
Bribe demanded to remove name from case
According to officials, the sub-inspector had allegedly demanded a ₹50 lakh bribe from Gupta to have his name removed from the ongoing gangrape investigation. After negotiations, Singh reportedly agreed to accept an initial payment of ₹2 lakh. The ACB then arranged a trap to catch him red-handed during the first instalment transaction.
Gupta was provided with marked currency notes, and the entire exchange was recorded using audio and video surveillance. The team moved in immediately after the money changed hands, ensuring that Singh was caught with the marked cash in his possession.
Marked currency recovered during raid
Following the arrest, ACB officers conducted a detailed inspection of the sub-inspector’s desk and recovered the marked currency notes from the file where the money had been placed. The seizure was carried out in the presence of two independent government witnesses, ensuring procedural transparency.
Officials confirmed that Singh has been booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and further investigation is underway to determine if he was involved in similar extortion attempts in other cases.
ACB vows strict action against corrupt officials
A senior ACB official said the department is adopting a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in law enforcement. “The message is clear — no one is above the law. Public confidence in the police system can only be restored when such officers are identified and punished,” the official said.
Meanwhile, sources indicated that a departmental inquiry has also been initiated against Singh, and he has been suspended with immediate effect pending further investigation.
Growing scrutiny on police corruption
This arrest comes amid growing public scrutiny over misconduct within the police force in Uttar Pradesh. Several similar cases have emerged in recent months, prompting calls for greater accountability and the use of technology-driven surveillance in corruption investigations.
Legal experts note that successful sting operations like this serve as strong deterrents. “The use of marked currency and live surveillance ensures fool-proof evidence, making it difficult for the accused to escape prosecution,” said a Lucknow-based lawyer familiar with anti-corruption cases.
The ACB is now verifying whether other officers in Mahanagar police station were complicit in the alleged extortion scheme. Further arrests are not being ruled out.