3 cops, 4 retired colleagues get jail in graft case

The court awarded them two-year imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 17,000 per person. Of the total of 22 police personnel named as accused in the sensational case, 12 of them were acquitted, while three of them had died when the trial was underway.

Police sources said that the said accused were serving in the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW), at Attur, in Salem District. On March 10, 2000, Madhivanan of Gangavalli in Salem District was riding his bike when he stopped by the PEW Police. His two-wheeler was seized and the police demanded Rs 15,000 as bribe to release the vehicle. But he approached the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). 

DVAC personnel handed over chemical-coated currencies to the complainant. The DVAC personnel set a trap for the tainted police personnel and caught hold of inspector Sekar and constable Saminathan when they received the bribe from Madhivanan. Following their arrests the sleuths also conducted a raid at the Attur PEW office and seized unaccounted money to the tune of over Rs 1 lakh. Inquiries revealed that the unaccounted money was bribe they had collected from several persons. Trial in the case went on for 17 years.