Doctor, wife, 2 more held taking bribe from police recruits in Mathura

Mathura, May 6 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a government doctor, his private practitioner wife, a pharmacist, and a driver on Tuesday for allegedly seeking bribes from police recruitment candidates by threatening to fail them during the medical exam.

The arrest was made at a private hospital run under the name of the doctor's wife.

Authorities seized Rs 1.3 lakh in cash and six mobile phones found in possession of the doctor, Hari Narayan Prabhakar.

Prabhakar's wife allegedly tried to destroy evidence from the mobile phones, but all devices were seized in time and sent for forensic examination, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar said.

Prabhakar, who was posted as an Emergency Medical Officer at the district hospital, was part of the medical panel overseeing the physical and health assessment of police constable recruits.

The ACB had received complaints that he, along with his wife Shivani, pharmacist Mathuresh, and driver Jaipal, was extorting money from candidates by threatening them with medical disqualification.

A joint raid was conducted by the ACB and the Highway Police Station team at the couple's private hospital, where they were caught accepting bribes from candidates.

All four were produced in court and sent to judicial custody, the officer said.

Authorities are now trying to determine how many candidates were extorted and how much money was collected in all. They are also identifying other victims.

Kumar said Prabhakar was immediately removed from the police recruitment medical panel, which has now been reconstituted. PTI COR KIS VN VN