Bhubaneswar: In a swift action, the Commissionerate Police on Thursday dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Rajesh Kullu from service with immediate effect for his alleged involvement in a bribery case.
Kullu, who was posted at Mancheswar Police Station in Bhubaneswar, was apprehended by Vigilance officials on Wednesday for allegedly taking brine from an accused person in exchange for returning mobile phones s
eized during an investigation.
The disciplinary action was taken under the provisions of Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution of India.
This apart, the Commissionerate Police has also initiated action against two Home Guards allegedly linked to the case. Home Guards Jyotiranjan Behera and Abdul Sarfaraj Khan have been served one-month notices for termination of their services from the Home Guards organisation.
According to Vigilance officials, Kullu had accepted Rs 30,000 on June 12 and returned one seized mobile phone. When the complainant later sought the release of another mobile phone, Kullu demanded an additional Rs 20,000.
The ASI instructed the complainant to hand over the money to Home Guard driver Jyotiranjan Behera and collect the mobile phone from him. The complainant subsequently approached Vigilance authorities and lodged a complaint.
Acting on the complaint, a Vigilance team laid a trap and caught Kullu and Behera red-handed while accepting the Rs 20,000 bribe. The entire amount was recovered and seized during the operation.