IGP demanded Rs 5 lakh bribe: Goa businessman

In his complaint to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Munnalal Halwai, a milk distributor, said he approached the IGP when the local police station refused to register his complaint over a land deal in which he was cheated. He alleged that his own lawyer in connivance with a petrol pump dealer cheated him of a piece of land worth Rs 1.15 crore.

“Repeated visits to police station did not bear fruit, so I approached IGP Sunil Garg’s office to reddress my grievances. He initially demanded 10 per cent of Rs 1.15 crore to register an FIR. On persuasion, he reduced the demand to Rs 5 lakh,” Munnalal told reporters on Thursday.

He alleged that he paid Rs 2.5 lakh in installments to the IGP. “While handing one such instalment of Rs 50,000 in IGP’s chamber I recorded the conversation in which he admitted receiving an amount of Rs 5 lakh. But he said it was only for registration of the FIR and not for recovery of the cheated amount,” Munnalal alleged. He said though an FIR was lodged, the police took no action against the two suspects.

IGP Sunil Garg refuted the allegations. “A lot of people come to meet me, he must have come to meet me. I do recollect. But I have not taken any money,” he told reporters.