Kathmandu, July 6

Traffic police arrested a person for allegedly trying to bribe an on-duty cop in Syuchatar yesterday.

A police officer found Shreedhar Neupane, 42, of Palpa district riding a scooter without blue book during a security check. As the officer issued a traffic rule violation ticket to Neupane, he offered the cop a bribe of Rs 500.

The police officer refused the offer and took him into custody on charge of trying to influence an on-duty cop. The same day, police arrested Bed Bahadur Kathayat, 26, of Kailali after he allegedly offered a bribe of Rs 140 to a cop in Chhetrapati. Kathayat was riding a bike under the influence of alcohol.

According to a report released by Metropolitan Police Office, as many as 156 drivers and riders have been arrested in the past nine months for attempting to bribe cops in the hope of getting off the hook. Those police personnel who were offered bribe during the period were inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and constables.

MPO had launched a crackdown on vehicle drivers and bike riders who offered bribe to police personnel, on September 25, under its campaign of zero tolerance against corruption. It said a total of 146 police personnel refused to accept the bribe money and they arrested 153 persons who tried to get undue favour by offering bribe to cops. “Anyone who tries to serve his/ her interest by influencing the police personnel will be arrested outright,” MPO said.

The drivers and riders are produced before the concerned district administration offices for legal action under the Some Public (Crime and Punishment) Act on charge of trying to get undue benefit from on-duty police officials.

MPO informed that they were released by the concerned district administration offices on bail of up to Rs 10,000. It informed that this crackdown aimed to ensure strict adherence to the rule and discourage drivers and on-duty police officers from offering and receiving bribe.