Varanasi: Just a fortnight before his retirement, an Urdu translator (clerk), Abdul Rahman Ansari, posted at Cantt police station, was caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe by a team of the anti-corruption unit on Friday. He had allegedly sought the bribe to remove the name of Sarik Shah, a resident of Sadar Bazaar, from the Goonda Act register.Varanasi division anti-corruption cell police station in-charge Neeraj Kumar Singh said Ansari had called Shah to an eatery around 5pm on Friday to collect the bribe. Shah, who had already lodged a complaint with the anti-corruption unit, informed officials about Ansari’s call. Acting on the information, the unit laid a trap, and Shah reached the outlet carrying chemically treated currency notes. As soon as Shah handed over the Rs 20,000, the anti-corruption unit officials, who were present at nearby tables in plain clothes, caught Ansari red-handed. He allegedly tried to flee but was immediately overpowered by the team.Following the arrest, the accused was taken to Lalpur-Pandeypur police station, where an FIR was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act. After completion of legal formalities, he will be produced before the court.Ansari, a resident of Narhan village under Kerakat Kotwali in Jaunpur district, had been posted as an Urdu translator-clerk since 2006. He is due to retire on July 31. He had joined the police department around 20 years ago after taking voluntary retirement from the Army.The officials are further investigating whether Ansari had allegedly collected illegal gratification from others in the past.Shah said a criminal case had been registered against him at Cantt police station around 10 years ago. He alleged that over the past decade he had purchased goods worth lakhs of rupees to oblige police personnel, who continued to threaten him with various legal actions. According to Shah, Ansari summoned him on Thursday and told him preparations were underway to invoke the Goonda Act against him. He allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 to remove his name from the proposed Goonda Act register.
