Rajkot: A special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court has convicted a 72-year-old former police inspector of Rajkot taluka police station in a 16-year-old bribery case, sentencing him to two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 10,000.The convict, Chandulal Gosai, was found guilty of demanding a bribe from a suspect during the probe into the 2009 murder of Mota Mava village sarpanch. According to the prosecution, Gosai had sought Rs 15 lakh from Rames Makwana to keep his name out of the case, which was later negotiated to Rs 3.5 lakh.Makwana paid Rs 2 lakh initially but approached the ACB when Gosai demanded the remaining Rs 1.5 lakh. A trap was laid, and Gosai was caught accepting the money inside his chamber at the police station. ACB officials recovered the marked currency notes, and a subsequent search at his residence led to the seizure of Rs 3.31 lakh in cash.During the trial, the defence claimed Gosai was falsely framed, alleging that Makwana had left the cash on his table and that the officer was caught only while trying to return it. However, district govt pleader SK Vora countered that Gosai had summoned Makwana to the police station multiple times, indicating ongoing negotiations over the bribe.The prosecution also relied on scientific evidence, highlighting the presence of phenolphthalein powder on Gosai’s hands to establish that he had accepted the money. It further pointed out that the accused had not raised the claim of being framed at the stage when sanction was sought to file the chargesheet.Special ACB Judge VA Rana, noting the strength of the evidence, convicted Gosai. Considering his age, the court awarded him two years of rigorous imprisonment.
