CHANDIGARH, May 17– A special CBI court on Friday formally framed corruption charges against two sub-inspectors of Chandigarh Police in connection with a bribery case that surfaced in 2023.
Special Judge Alka Malik charged SI Akhtar Hussain and SI Krishan Kumar under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which pertains to public servants accepting undue advantage.
Both officers pleaded not guilty and opted to face trial. The case is now scheduled for hearing on September 9, 2025, when the court will begin recording evidence.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the two officers were accused of demanding a ₹5 lakh bribe from local resident Ram Mehar Sharma in exchange for helping his relative in a GST fraud investigation. At the time, SI Hussain was posted at the Sector 17 police station, while SI Kumar was serving with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
The CBI stated that the bribe amount was later reduced to ₹2.5 lakh. Acting on Sharma’s complaint, investigators set up a trap at the EOW office. However, Krishan Kumar allegedly fled the scene with the bribe money before the officers could apprehend him.
He was arrested later after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the court. “The trap was supported by covert surveillance, including a hidden camera and voice recorder,” a CBI official familiar with the investigation said.
The arrests in October 2023 marked a rare instance of anti-corruption action against mid-level police officers in the union territory, raising broader questions about internal oversight mechanisms within law enforcement.
