Bihar constable arrested for taking Rs 20 bribe in 1990

A 34-year-old bribery case has resurfaced, leading to a court order for the arrest of a former constable accused of accepting a Rs 20 bribe from a woman at Saharsa railway station in Bihar. The incident occurred on May 6, 1990, when Suresh Prasad Singh, a constable from Barahiya, allegedly demanded a bribe from Sita Devi, who was carrying vegetables at the station.

Singh stopped Devi as she walked on the platform and allegedly whispered something that prompted her to hand over Rs 20. Singh pocketed the money, but his actions were noticed by the railway station in-charge, who had been observing him. The bribe was recovered immediately, and Singh was arrested on the spot.

The case, though seemingly minor, dragged on for over three decades. Singh was granted bail but failed to appear in court, leading to the cancellation of his bail bond and an arrest warrant in 1999. Since then, Singh has been absconding, and efforts to locate him, including a property attachment order, were unsuccessful.

Recently, the case gained new momentum when an investigation revealed Singh had given a false address in Maheshkhunt. His actual residence was discovered to be in Bijoy village, Barahiya, Lakhisarai district. Acting on this new information, Special Vigilance Judge Sudesh Srivastava directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to arrest Singh and present him before the court.