Vasai cops hit me for refusing Rs 25,000 bribe: Student

Gaurav Koli sustained an injury to his eye and lost a tooth

A 25-year-old man has accused two Vasai Gaon police personnel of assaulting him after he refused to pay them a bribe for traffic violations. Gaurav Koli says they punched him in the face, because of which he has lost partial vision in the right eye and lost a tooth.

Koli, a student of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi, told mid-day that the two officers stopped him for speeding and not wearing the seat belt. "I humbly accepted my mistake, and was ready to pay the fine as per the traffic rules. But, the officers demanded a bribe of Rs 25,000 which I refused to pay," he added.

"The officers started arguing with me, and then assaulted me, punching me in the face. I have lost a tooth and injured my right eye. The incident happened was recorded on a CCTV camera," he said.

Koli said he managed to escape, but the cops chased him down and assaulted him again. They took him to a hospital to find out if he was drunk. "Doctors said I may experience visibility issues due to the injury." He plans to file a complaint against the officers. DCP Zone 3 Sanjay Patil, "I won't be able to comment as I don't have any details." Vasai Gaon police didn't respond to calls.