Bhuj: A special court in Bhuj on Friday sentenced a suspended police constable to five years of rigorous imprisonment for accepting a bribe and trying to destroy the currency notes by chewing them.

The court convicted Mayursinh Sodha, who was posted at Vayor police station in West Kutch, for demanding and taking a ₹4,000 bribe from a farmer in 2020 to avoid registering a case under the Prohibition Act. However, the farmer approached the ACB, which set up a trap. They provided the complainant with four currency notes treated with phenolphthalein powder, a chemical used to detect bribe acceptance.

As soon as Sodha accepted the tainted notes outside the police station, the ACB team rushed in to arrest him. But in a bid to destroy evidence, Sodha hastily stuffed the notes into his mouth and began chewing them. Despite this, ACB officials recovered the partially chewed notes and sent them to the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory (DFSL) in Gandhinagar.

Chemical analysis confirmed the presence of phenolphthalein, while DNA testing matched the saliva on the notes to Sodha — effectively proving the bribery allegation.

In addition to the five-year jail term for bribery and abuse of official position, Sodha received further imprisonment and fines for attempting to destroy evidence. The court also imposed a ₹10,500 fine, with the warning of additional jail time if unpaid. DeshGujarat