5 Goa cops who took bribe from Spanish tourist suspended

Five policemen, who accepted a bribe from a Spanish tourist to help him evade fine for traffic law violation, have been suspended.

Superintendent of police (traffic) Arvind Gauns told PTI today that an assistant sub-inspector, a head constable, two constables and a driver were suspended yesterday after they were found guilty of graft.

Goa vigilance department had raided the traffic police team on Margao-Panaji highway in August last year, while they were accepting bribe from the tourist to let him off.

The foreigner had paid Rs1,600, as he was not wearing a helmet on the highway and was without a driving license. The suspended policemen were deployed on an interceptor vehicle fitted with camera, which is supposed to monitor the traffic rule violations on the highways.

Gauns said a vigilance department probe had found the policemen guilty.

The Spaniard, in a statement to the department, had said he was asked to pay Rs1,600 as fine without a 'challan' by the policemen. Subsequently, the amount was brought down to Rs1,000 which he paid, police sources said.

The policemen had thrown the money into the nearby bushes when they realised that the department had trapped them, they said.