Gurugram, Dec 30 (IANS): The station house officer (SHO) and the head constable of Kherki Daula police station here were suspended for allegedly taking a bribe, Gurugram Police Commissioner K.K. Rao said on Tuesday.

The SHO absconded soon after the registration of an FIR against him.

"We have suspended both the police officials in connection with the matter. The investigations into the matter are on," Rao said.

The matter came to the fore when a team of the Haryana State Vigilance Bureau, Faridabad unit had caught the head constable Amit Kumar red-handed for taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh on behalf of the SHO of the Kherki Daula police station on Monday.

Kumar was nabbed by the vigilance officials from Shikohpur More on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway along with the huge amount.

The police said that Kumar was produced before a court on Tuesday which sent him two days police custody.

During questioning, the head constable disclosed before the vigilance officers that he had accepted the bribe.

According to the vigilance officials, Naveen Bhutani, a resident of Uttam Nagar, told the vigilance bureau in his complaint that he runs a call centre in Delhi with his co-partner from Karnal.

"There was a quarrel with him over financial transactions. In October 2020, he was called to meet at Appu Ghar Gurugram, Sector-29, to resolve the matter. From there some policemen took him in a car to the Kherki Daula police station and produced him before SHO Vishal," Bhutani told the vigilance officials.

It is alleged that there the SHO beat up Bhutani in his office and checked his laptop. After getting information about his business from the laptop, the SHO demanded Rs 1 crore. On not giving money, he was threatened that he will be falsely implicated in a case.

The victim stated in his complaint that Inspector Vishal had illegally detained him for two days in his custody without any offence.

The policeman had left him after taking Rs 57 lakh from him but did not return the victim's laptop and other documents.

The victim told the investigation team, that the SHO again demanded him Rs 10 in lieu of his laptop and credit cards even after taking Rs 57 lakh. Later, a deal was finalised for Rs 5 lakh.

"On Monday night, head constable Amit Kumar, was arrested red-handed when he was taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the victim in lieu of returning the victim's laptop and other material," Investigating officer of the state vigilance, Inspector Tribhuvan said.