The West Bengal government assured the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday that it’s cracking down hard on a woman police officer from Tarakeswar police station in Hooghly district, accused of demanding a bribe. Officials filed an FIR against her under the Prevention of Corruption Act and launched an investigation led by a deputy superintendent of police (DSP).
This step came after the court pressed the state on why it hadn’t probed the officer under the anti-corruption law. The case landed before a division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi. They pointed out that the officer had admitted to asking for the bribe, so just sending her a show-cause notice wasn’t enough. The judges stressed that stricter action was overdue. The next hearing is set for Thursday.
Rewinding a bit, the drama started on September 19 when the same bench grilled West Bengal Police for dragging their feet. They asked why no FIR or corruption proceedings had kicked off against the officer, despite a citizen’s complaint about her demanding a bribe. The department had issued a show-cause notice, but it skipped any mention of the bribe itself.
The state’s lawyer explained that they suspended the officer on September 17, started a departmental probe, and charged her with negligence and failing her duties. The notice even warned she could lose her job over the bribe demand. But the judges shot that down, saying this wasn’t mere sloppiness—it was a serious betrayal of public trust by a police officer.
The bench then ordered the government to spell out its full position by September 22. Sources say the trouble began when engineer Biltu Hazra reported a neighbor dispute at Tarakeswar police station. Instead of help, Hazra claims the police ignored his complaint and slapped him with a fake case. Things escalated when an audio clip surfaced, capturing the female investigating officer boasting about taking a “huge bribe.”
Hazra took his story to the Calcutta High Court. It started with a single judge but soon moved to the division bench, spotlighting the West Bengal police bribe scandal and pushing for accountability under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
