IPS Officer Aniruddh Singh Found Guilty of Demanding Rs 20 Lakh Bribe in Varanasi Rape Case
Varanasi. In a recent update, Aniruddh Singh, a 2018 batch IPS officer, has been proven to be guilty of soliciting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh in connection to a rape case of a student at Sunbeam School in Varanasi. The incident was brought to public attention when the school director recorded a video call where the bribe was requested and shared it with officials. Later, this video was leaked and went viral on Social Media, resulting in widespread criticism.
Prompted by the viral video, the government directed the Director General of Police (DGP) headquarters to initiate a thorough investigation into the matter. As per the orders, the Varanasi Police Commissioner appointed ACP Headquarters and DIG Crime Santosh Kumar Singh to conduct the investigation. Although the DGP headquarters had requested a report within three days, the investigation took approximately two and a half months to complete due to the time-consuming forensic analysis of the video.
At the end of May, the Varanasi Police Commissioner submitted the investigation report to the DGP headquarters, which confirmed Aniruddh Singh's guilt. The investigation also revealed that Aniruddh attempted to defend himself by claiming that he was trying to expose the accused through video calls. Interestingly, this defense had been presented during previous investigations against him as well.
Before the video went viral, the school director had filed a complaint with the DGP headquarters, leading to a preliminary inquiry conducted by the commissioner. The allegations were found to be substantiated, resulting in Anirudh's transfer from Varanasi to the Intelligence Headquarters. To investigate the matter further, a committee comprising two ADG-level IPS officers was formed. However, during the investigation, the school director failed to appear before the committee, while Aniruddh alleged that the school administrators had attempted to manipulate the case in their favor, prompting him to set a trap. Based on Anirudh's claim and the recorded video, the committee cleared him of the charges.
Following his acquittal, Aniruddh was initially posted as SP Rural of Fatehpur but was later transferred to Meerut. However, once the video went viral, he was reassigned to the CBCID headquarters, while his wife, Aarti Singh, who held the position of DCP in Varanasi, was transferred to the Kanpur Police Commissionerate.
The case has sparked outrage among the public, with demands for severe punishment against Aniruddh Singh. It is anticipated that appropriate action will be taken against him in due course, considering the gravity of the offense and its impact on public trust in law enforcement.
Investigation into the rape case at Sunbeam School in Varanasi is ongoing, and authorities are making concerted efforts to ensure justice for the victim.
