Constable bites businessman, pushes & hits three ACB personnel during trap operation

Pune: A constable posted at the Koregaon Park police station bit a businessman before pushing and hitting three personnel of the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Pune, during a trap operation at a housing society on Boat Club Road on Wednesday afternoon.The ACB personnel later arrested the constable for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh from the businessman. A case has been registered against him with the Koregaon Park police.The shocked businessman has been hospitalised. The three ACB personnel suffered minor injuries.Superintendent of Police, ACB Pune, Shirish Sardeshpande, told TOI, "The arrested constable, Ganesh Kaspate, had demanded a bribe of Rs2 lakh and later settled for Rs1.5 lakh for not arresting the businessman in a Negotiable Instruments Act case registered in Hyderabad. A court in Hyderabad had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the businessman."The officer said, "The NBW was issued against the businessman from Boat Club Road in March. Constable Kaspate, assigned the task to execute the NBW, went to the businessman's house and threatened to arrest him. He then took Rs5 lakh and left."Sardeshpande said, "Kaspate again contacted the businessman on May 1, claiming that the NBW had been reissued. He promised to help the businessman and settled for a bribe of Rs1.5 lakh. Kaspate demanded the money on Wednesday."In the meantime, the businessman approached the ACB and lodged a complaint. A trap was laid at the housing society."Our team apprehended the constable as soon as he accepted the cash, but Kaspate bit the complainant on the chest, and then pushed and assaulted the three ACB personnel. An officer fell on the ground and Kaspate attempted to flee, but our team nabbed him," Sardeshpande said.