Sunday, January 15, 2006

Four cops caught taking bribe

Kathmandu, Jan 15-Four police constables were caught red-handed while bargaining about their bribe with a goldsmith on Friday at Kapan in Kathmandu. A few days ago, one of the arrested constables took a bribe from the goldsmith after threatening to hand him over to the police for his illegal deals in gold.

Police sources said Lal Bahadur Thapa, a constable posted at Kathmandu District Police Office (KDPO), two constables posted at the Valley Crime Investigation Branch (VCIB) and a fourth posted at Teaching Hospital were caught while bargaining for a bigger amount with goldsmith Padam Ghimire. The names of the other three police personnel were not given by the police office.

Sources added that Thapa descended on Ghimire a few days ago after getting wind that Ghimire was also acting as a fence for stolen gold articles. Thapa asked Ghimire for a hefty sum in return for his slience about Ghimire's shady deals.

"Ghimire immediately gave him Rs 2,000 and a gold chain weighing half a tola," police sources said. Ghimire had also promised to cough up a further Rs 6,000 on January 10. "When Ghimire did not pay up, Thapa and three other cops cornerned him for more money," sources said.

After the four cops refused to settle for the Rs 6,000, Ghimire tipped off the Kapan Area Police Office. He kept making small talk with them untril the Kapan police team reached the spot and nabbed the quartet. The four were handed over to the Bouddha Ward Police Office.Sources said the four will be presented before the Kathmandu District Court tomorrow. A senior police official at the KDPO said: "We will first suspend them and also look into their involvement of Ghimire's activities as a fence."

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