A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced a sub-inspector of police to two years' imprisonment for taking bribe from an accused in a case he was investigating.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge ANM Bashir Ullah pronounced the verdict in presence of convict SI Mainul Ahsan. The verdict said the charge against the defendant had been proved beyond doubt.
The court also penalised Mainul Tk 5,000 in default of which he will have to serve another month's imprisonment.
Earlier, the prosecution and the defence lawyers had completed their arguments and the court recorded statements of 11 prosecution witnesses.
According to the prosecution, SI Mainul was assigned to investigate a criminal case filed against one Mozammel Haq with Cantonment Police Station last May. During the investigation, the SI demanded Tk 50,000 from Mozammel in exchange for relieving him of the charge. The SI also threatened to arrest his 108-year-old father if he failed pay the sum.
Helpless, Mozammel asked SI Mainul to meet at a restaurant in Tejgaon on June 12, 2008. Meanwhile, he had informed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Mainul's intension. ACC personnel arrested the SI red-handed as he was receiving Tk 5,000 from Mozammel.
A case was filed against SI Mainul the next day and ACC pressed charges against him last August.