LAHORE, Dec 8: An assistant sub-inspector and seven constables deployed at the Ravi bridge police picket have been arrested for taking bribe from motorists.

Police said Muhammad Ilyas of Gujrat was received by his family at Lahore airport on his arrival from Saudi Arabia. During their journey to Gujrat, they were stopped by a mobile squad at the Ravi bridge police picket.

Officials asked Ilyas, who was accompanied by two female family members and three children, that he would have to pay a Rs1,700 fine for installing tinted glass on the rear screen. When Ilyas told them that his car had no such thing, the policemen started harassing him and demanded fine. Both sides struck a bargain and agreed on Rs1,000.

In the meantime, City Division SP Rana Abdul Jabbar, who was on a routine visit to pickets, arrived at the scene and inquired about the matter. Ilyas informed the SP that the police were demanding bribe from him.

The SP checked the vehicle and found no tinted glass on its rear screen. He later recovered Rs2,000 in cash from different parts of the police vehicle which the policemen had extorted from motorists and motorcyclists.

The SP informed SSP (operations) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad about the situation who ordered the arrest of policemen and registration of a case under gratification charges, extortion and Police Order 2002.

On the order of the SP later, the Shahdara police arrested the accused policemen and sent them to jail.