Accepting bribes to permit construction work, to improperly influence investigations in cheating or fraud cases, or allow the operation of illegal shops—these are among the offences for which the Delhi Police has arrested around seven of its own officers in the first six months of 2025. Notably, four arrests occurred in April alone.
All arrests were made under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In comparison, eight such arrests were recorded in 2024.
Inspector arrested for demanding Rs 30 lakh bribe
On June 24, Delhi Police announced the arrest of Inspector Jitendra Singh Yadav and his accomplice Dharamveer for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 30 lakh from a complainant to influence an ongoing investigation. The vigilance unit apprehended Dharamveer, who posed as Yadav’s lawyer, while he was accepting Rs 1 lakh from the complainant.
The complainant had alleged that Yadav, the investigating officer at Greater Kailash police station, demanded the bribe after an FIR was registered against her and her husband. A sting operation confirmed the accusation, leading to Dharamveer’s arrest. Police later revealed that he was not a registered advocate. Both men were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and remanded to one-day police custody.
Head constable flees with bribe, injures vigilance officer
In another case, in the last week of April, the Vigilance Unit arrested Head Constable Gajendra Singh, posted at Jaffarpur Kalan Police Station in Dwarka District, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe. Singh, acting as a Beat Officer, allegedly sought Rs 25,000 from a local resident in exchange for allowing construction work on private land.
Following a complaint, a sting operation was conducted on April 4. Singh accepted the bribe inside his vehicle but fled the scene with the money, injuring a vigilance officer in the process. A case was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant BNS sections. Singh was suspended from duty and remained at large for several weeks. His anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Rouse Avenue Court.
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The breakthrough came on April 25, when Singh was arrested by the Vigilance Unit’s investigating officer. He is currently in custody for the recovery of the illicit funds and further questioning.
Delhi Police has encouraged the public to report any abuse of authority by its personnel, assuring that all complaints will be handled confidentially and that strict action will be taken against the accused.
Sub-inspector arrested after High Court intervention
One of the arrested officers is a Sub-Inspector (SI) from North Avenue police station. On May 13, the Delhi High Court ordered his arrest after allegations emerged that he demanded a bribe from an accused in a brawl case, offering help in securing anticipatory bail.
The incident in question involved a clash between two groups at RML Hospital, leading to cross FIRs registered at North Avenue police station.
On May 7, during a hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of one of the accused—who had been declared a proclaimed offender—the accused’s counsel told the court that the investigating officer was blackmailing the accused’s relatives and had demanded a bribe. As evidence, the counsel presented 11 printouts of messages exchanged between the SI and the accused’s sister-in-law.
The SI admitted in court that the mobile number in the printouts belonged to him. Police further noted that the documents included a Paytm transaction screenshot showing money being sent to a person as per the SI’s instructions.
Following this, the High Court directed that legal proceedings be initiated, leading to the SI’s arrest.
Two low-ranking officers arrested for petty bribes
In another incident, a head constable was arrested on April 15 for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 to allow a meat shop to function in Paschim Vihar West. A day earlier, on April 14, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) had been arrested for allegedly demanding Rs 2,000 to permit construction at the residence of a retired police officer.
Vigilance Branch handles 80–100 complaints daily
Officials from the Vigilance Branch said they receive around 80–100 complaints daily through WhatsApp and helpline numbers. “We get written complaints, and people also visit in person. Sometimes, we get tip-offs by phone, prompting flying squads to act. Not all complaints lead to FIRs—some lack sufficient evidence. Others that do not fall under Vigilance jurisdiction are transferred to district police,” said an officer.
Some cases referred to the CBI
In some cases, investigations are handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “Certain cases demand more resources than we have. In such instances, we refer the matter to the CBI,” another official said.
One high-profile case currently under CBI investigation involves a Delhi Police sub-inspector, Rahul Malik, stationed at the Cyber Police Station in Rohini. Malik was arrested by the Mumbai unit of the CBI for allegedly demanding and receiving Rs 2.5 lakh as part-payment of a bribe, arranged through multiple hawala operators in Mumbai, Erode (Tamil Nadu), and New Delhi.
According to the CBI, Malik had demanded the bribe from a Navi Mumbai-based businessman to avoid arresting him or his relative in a cyber fraud case.
The CBI filed an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS, based on a written complaint by the businessman. Malik was apprehended in Delhi and produced before a special court in New Delhi, which granted his transit remand until March 28.
The businessman, who runs a tour-and-travel agency in Mumbai, had business dealings with a Delhi-based private firm engaged in a Cash Management System (CMS). He discovered that login credentials provided for his virtual wallets were registered under a false name. The case was being probed by the Rohini Cyber Police Station.
On March 7, Malik allegedly visited the businessman’s home in Navi Mumbai and demanded a Rs 50 lakh bribe. The next day, he allegedly asked the businessman to meet him at a hotel in Mumbai, where he again demanded money, this time typing the amount—Rs 16 lakh—on his mobile phone, according to the CBI.
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After negotiations, the amount was lowered to Rs 14 lakh. Malik reportedly sent details of hawala contacts to the businessman. On March 19, the CBI conducted a sting operation and caught the hawala operator accepting Rs 2.5 lakh on behalf of Malik in Mumbai.
