Bareilly (UP), Jan 5 (PTI) A head constable has been booked for changing bribe notes in court claiming the original ones were nibbled by rats at the police station where they were stored, officials said on Sunday.

The case has been registered against Udayveer Singh, the head constable of Nawabganj police station in Bareilly district, they said.

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According to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mukesh Chandra Mishra, on February 12, 2021, the Anti-Corruption Organisation (ACO) of Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a lekhpal (revenue official) posted in the Nawabganj tehsil while receiving a bribe of Rs 10,000.

The ACO team seized 20 bribe notes of Rs 500 denomination each from the accused, besides seizing Rs 80,361, a mobile phone, an Aadhaar card, and a PAN card from his possession.

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The seized items, including the bribe money, were handed over to Singh.

While the cash and other items were later released on court's order, the bribe notes were deposited at the Nawabganj police station.

However, during the trial, the head constable didn't produce the bribe notes in the court and instead submitted 20 different Rs 500 currency notes, blaming rats for nibbling on the original ones.

Mishra said when Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parikh investigated the matter, he found that Singh deliberately committed a criminal act to benefit the accused.

Based on a report submitted against Singh, an FIR was registered against the head constable on Saturday, police said.

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