GUWAHATI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Assam has exposed a corruption case involving Inspector (UB) Ajay Kumar Handique, the Officer In-charge of Dhula Police Station in Darrang district. The complaint alleges that Inspector Handique demanded a staggering amount of ₹3,20,000 as a bribe from the complainant to provide relief in a criminal case, despite the complainant being the victim in the said case. Subsequently, the officer reduced the bribe amount to ₹1,00,000.
Refusing to succumb to bribery, the complainant sought legal intervention from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Assam to take appropriate action against the implicated public servant. In response, a team from the Directorate orchestrated a trap on November 29, 2023, at Tangi Chariali Petrol Pump under Dhula Police Station.
The operation resulted in the apprehension of Muktar Hussain, a middleman who was caught red-handed accepting ₹5,000 as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant on behalf of Inspector Handique. The tainted bribe money was swiftly recovered from Hussain's possession, with the seizure conducted in the presence of independent witnesses.
Handique was also detained for his involvement in demanding and accepting bribes through Hussain, suggesting a coordinated conspiracy between the two. In response to the unfolding events, a case was registered at the ACB Police Station on November 29, 2023, under ACB P.S. Case No. 103/2023, invoking Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).