Four removed from VMC cattle teams after bribery video surfaces
The VMC deploys private security staff, along with municipal and city police officials, to impound stray cattle. Each team has about 14 members, including a driver. Audio clips that went viral on Tuesday captured a team member allegedly accepting money from a cattle keeper to either avoid impounding cattle or release them after capture.
A UPI payment screenshot and conversations suggesting the exchange of liquor as well as cash were also circulated.
Senior VMC officials verified the authenticity of the recordings and identified the cattle keeper involved. "Three security personnel from the cattle party and their team leader have been removed by the security agency. We have also imposed a Rs 5 lakh fine on the agency," said Mangesh Jaiswal, VMC's director for encroachment removal and security.
Jaiswal noted that security personnel, except the team leader, are barred from carrying phones on duty — a rule introduced after allegations they were tipping off cattle keepers.
He added that the bribery conversations appeared to have been recorded while personnel were using phones outside duty hours.
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