In a significant ruling, a Morbi district court in Gujarat has sentenced a retired police constable, Amart Makwana, to five years of rigorous imprisonment for soliciting a bribe in 2014. The court found Makwana guilty of demanding Rs 500 from a woman to facilitate her passport verification.
The case, initiated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) following a sting operation, involved Makwana demanding the bribe from Pooja, who needed her passport verified to join her husband in Nairobi. Despite having completed the necessary formalities and payments, Pooja was coerced by Makwana at the Maliya police station to pay an additional Rs 500 on March 17, 2014. When she resisted, Makwana threatened to withhold her passport.
Pooja’s relative, Manoj, reported the extortionate demand to the ACB, which promptly arranged a trap the following day. Makwana was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe, leading to his arrest and subsequent trial.
Throughout the legal proceedings, public prosecutor Vijay Jani presented compelling evidence, including seven oral testimonies and 35 documentary proofs, which culminated in Makwana’s conviction under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Along with the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on Makwana. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional month of imprisonment.
