Woman cop threatens witness in POCSO case, demands bribe; held

Nagpur, Nov 19 (PTI) A woman police sub-inspector was arrested from the premises of the Nagpur district court for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 50,000 from a key witness in a POCSO case after threatening to implicate her in another case, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Deeksha Tajane, allegedly threatened the witness, who is reportedly a relative of the minor victim, on behalf of the accused.

The matter came to light on Tuesday when the witness made a statement in court and revealed the threat and the bribe demand. The witness also testified that she had already paid Tajane Rs 20,000, a police officer said.

Following this dramatic testimony, assistant public prosecutor Saroj Khaparde filed a formal complaint with the court. Acting on the court's instructions, the Sadar police quickly moved in and took Tajane into custody from the court premises.

Senior Police Inspector Amol Deshmukh stated that the action was taken promptly following the complaint by the prosecutor and the court’s order.

The victim in the POCSO case is a student who was preparing for the NEET exam. The accused, identified as Liladhar Mansaram Samarth (37), had been arrested. PTI COR NSK