Two Delhi policemen have been jailed for two and half years by a city court for forcing a man to pay them a bribe of Rs 1,500 after threatening to arrest him.

Special Judge B R Kedia sentenced 56-year-old Assistant Sub-Inspector Umar Mohd and Constable Saleem Khan, 42 to jail along with a fine of fine of Rs 10,000 each, holding them guilty of demanding bribe and committing misconduct as public servants.

"The social fabric is destroyed by corrupt practices in public services. Cancer of corruption is spreading its tentacles in social life to such an extent that belief of common man in institutional framework is obliterated," he said.

The prosecution case was that both Umar and Khan had intercepted complainant Narsingh on the night of September 18, 2004 at the Molarband checkpost. Narsingh was driving a Maruti van and the duo demanded to see the documents of his vehicle.

Narsingh, in his complaint to the Anti Corruption Branch of Delhi Police, said despite showing complete papers, they asked him to pay Rs 4000 or else face arrest and seizure of his car. The figure was brought down to Rs 1500 on Narsingh's earnest requests.

On September 22, Khan phoned Narsingh asking him to pay the money the following day or face arrest.

The next day, a trap was laid to catch the duo red-handed. Narsingh met Khan and Umar at a tea stall near Badarpur police station where he was made to hand over the money to tea vendor Ram Bilas, a co-accused, who then handed it over to Khan.

Ram Bilas was acquitted as the prosecution failed to make out a case against him.